


Can't Fight this Feeling

by itzbianqueen



Category: La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV)
Genre: Angst, Brothers, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Palawan (La casa de papel), Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:46:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 39,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22223548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itzbianqueen/pseuds/itzbianqueen
Summary: During the first heist, Sergio never got physically close to Raquel which allowed him to pull it off flawlessly and get away completely undetected. With her reputation completely shattered, Raquel leaves the police force and rebuilds a new life for herself and Paula.One year later, she and a couple of friends decide to take a vacation to celebrate her 41st birthday in Palawan, Philippines where she meets a handsome stranger.
Comments: 126
Kudos: 368





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I'm about to attempt and commit to my first real multi-chapter story. This idea came to me a week ago and I wanted to give it a try. In this story, Sergio got through the heist with his identity never being discovered by the police. Because of that, Berlin didn't have to stay behind and sacrifice his life, allowing them to live in the same place and stay together.
> 
> The prologue is to set up the angst in the story - and then it'll be flashbacks leading to that moment. So don't despair...it's not all doom and gloom.. yet? ;)

* _drip*_

_*drip*_

The only sound Raquel had heard in the last 30 minutes was that of a leak hitting a tin can on the opposite side of the large warehouse she was currently tied up in - _literally._ Her arms were handcuffed to a pipe above her head and no matter how much she tried to break the pipe with her weight or slip her hands from the handcuffs, it was impossible to break free.

The fear from the past 24 hours was coursing through her body and ringing in her ears with every drip. _Was she going to get out of this alive?_

She thought about Paula. _Her beautiful Paulita_. Her heart belonged to her daughter. The thought that she wouldn’t see her grow up to be the beautiful woman she knew she’d be was killing her inside. She would miss her first day of high school, graduation, college, her first “adult” job, her first boyfriend or girlfriend, her first car, her wedding, her first child if that’s what she wanted… 

As Raquel went over the life events she’d miss, she broke down. The tears turned to sobs and with her arms above her and her body forced to stand, she found it difficult to catch her breath. 

After a few minutes of attempting to control her breathing with deep steady breaths, her mind moved on to her mom. She’d been heartbroken over the past year to watch her slowly succumb to Alzheimer's, losing her sense of reality more and more with each passing day. It chipped away at her every day, but her main focus had been to ensure she was cared for, felt comfortable and for those rare lucid moments, she would be reminded of her home and family. That she was loved. Without Raquel, she knew her sister would put her in a nursing home where she’d completely lose the will to live in any form of reality. The unfamiliar faces, smells, sounds and space would be too heavy to bear. She’d be gone.

And Paula would be forced to live with Alberto and what if he….

Raquel couldn’t finish the thought before more tears streamed down her face.

Seven days. She’d been here seven days. This was supposed to be a break, a nice tan, a few poorly planned hangovers…. But here she was confronted with the uncertainty of whether she’d ever leave the place she called paradise just a few days ago. 

All because she opened her heart for the first time in years. She’d just been joking with her friends a week ago how unlucky in love she’s been, and now the joke’s on her… because this dirty, dreary and empty warehouse would likely be the last place she ever sees. “ _For a smart woman, sometimes you can be really dumb”_ her sister used to always tell her. For once, she’d have to agree. She let her heart guide her… _again._

Before her mind could continue on its scary path of reflection, she heard the door open and slam shut from across the room. She couldn’t see the people who entered, but she was sure she could hear two voices.

“We don’t have a choice,” the first male voice said, clearly annoyed. It sounded like this was the middle of an argument.

“No,” the second voice said. _Sergio._

“So what are we going to do then? Let her go? Leave her here and run? Negotiate with the woman whose reputation you destroyed?!”

 _Yes, Sergio, what are you going to do with me?_ Raquel thought while she had to endure listening to two men fight over the fate of her life. 

“Just give me a minute to think!” Sergio responded. She didn’t have to see him to know he was nervously adjusting his glasses and running his hand through his hair. It may have only been a week but she felt like she’d gotten to know him in a way very few got to see him… then again, what did she know? She was currently tied to a pipe waiting for the man who she had fucked barely a day ago to kill her. 

“There’s nothing to think about! Everything we worked for could be destroyed if you don’t handle this now.”

“Don’t you think I know that?!

“You told me years ago that letting a woman get in the way of a heist was the dumbest thing I could do. You lectured me for weeks about Tatiana...” 

“I…”

“What do you think is going to happen, Sergio? That she’s going to just let this go? That she’s going to run away with you on an island and you’ll live happily ever after? For fucks sake, Sergio, you’re not this stupid!”

“Hey!” Raquel interrupted, unable to listen to this argument anymore. “You do know I can hear you, right?”

Sergio took a deep breath, knowing that what came next would impact his life forever. And hers.

“I’ll take care of this,” he told his brother, feeling completely and utterly defeated. 

“Good,” Andres smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “I know this is hard, but it’s not just your future you’d be giving up.”

“You’re right,” he agreed. He then looked towards the area Raquel was tied up and back to his brother. “Can you give us a moment?”

“Of course,” he agreed easily. “I’ll be outside if you need me.”

Sergio nodded and then finally walked towards Raquel; the weight of what would happen next causing his body feel like rubber with every step he took towards her.

She was looking at him straight in the eye, not making this moment easy on him. He expected this but it made his nausea feel even worse. _How was he supposed to do this?_

“Raquel…” he breathed, trying to find the words to convey everything he was feeling but failing miserably.

“I don’t want to hear it all again,” she stopped him. “Do what you have to do.”

Defeated. He could hear it in her voice. She just wanted this all to stop. This hell of the last 24 hours had worn her down. No more negotiations. No more promises or pleas. She was giving him the power to make the next move - and whatever he chose to do now would be it. 

He looked at her, seeing the tears streaming down her cheeks. He could feel all of her final thoughts from the agony he saw in her eyes. Her pain echoed in his heart. This was the last thing he ever wanted to do, especially to her.

“Close your eyes,” he finally said. 

When she did, he walked closer to her stopping just inches from her body. She started to tremble as he moved his head to her ear, “I love you”, he whispered.

Raquel quietly gasped not expecting those to be his final words to her. 

This was it. Raquel opened her eyes one last time to see the gun in his hand and quickly closed her eyes again. Flashes of memories of Sergio, the case, her friends, her mom.. and finally, Paula, quickly played in her mind like a movie on fast forward. She felt the guilt of leaving them all behind...

A shot went off. 

**

Andres, who had been waiting outside the building impatiently finally let out a sigh of relief when he heard it. "This was for the best, brother.”

**TBC**


	2. Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your comments on the prologue! I really appreciate all of the feedback and hope you'll continue reading the story to see what happens to lead to that moment. ;)

**_Valencia, Spain - 12 Days Ago_ **

Raquel Murillo walked into her final lecture before spring break just minutes before the class was scheduled to start. Rushing to the front, she quickly removed her jacket and set up her laptop with the title “The Costs of Inequality” on her PowerPoint presentation. She watched as the last remaining students ran through the door and took their seats, avoiding yet another Professor Murillo lecture on tardiness. 

This was the class she was dreading all term because she knew the theories she’d be tackling in this lecture and the case studies she’d be showing would likely inspire questions about the one case she didn’t want to discuss. The only thing giving her some peace at the moment was knowing that in 24 hours, she would be on a flight to Palawan, Philippines for a week of sunshine, beaches, and relaxation. All she had to do was survive these next three hours. 

“Let’s talk about the links between inequality and the criminal justice system,” she began as she discussed the relationship between socio economic factors and crime rates, the rise of immigration in cities, policies that are reinforcing an unfair system and new theories on preventative programs to help communities that are at-risk. When she started discussing case studies around Spain and got to Madrid, she had a feeling a certain case would be discussed. This was the part of the lecture she had been dreading as she talked about the link between the increase in poverty in Madrid and the influx of socio-economic crimes in the capital city.

“Do you think the Royal Mint heist last year was a good way to challenge an unfair system?” One student interrupted. _And fuck, here we go, she thought._

“What do you think it challenged?” she asked, the colour leaving her face as she was dreading this conversation.

The student took a moment to think about his approach to the question, “We’ve been seeing a big divide in the city of more people struggling with poverty and the rich getting even wealthier. They stole from the system and not people, showing us how unfair the economy is. They were like modern-day Robin Hoods.”

“And how are they Robin Hoods if they took that money for themselves rather than distributing it back into the economy in the hands of the people who need it?” Raquel challenged again.

Another student lifted her hand to add to the conversation, “Maybe it wasn’t about them fixing the Spanish economy but sending a message. That those who are vulnerable or who have been hurt by the system can fight back in the same ways the rich take advantage of the system. I think it was their way of showing us that our voices matter.”

“More and more people are becoming aware of the inequalities and are questioning the status quo. We’ve seen protests all over the world in homage to the people behind the heist,” another student jumped in to respond.

“Maybe you’re right,” Raquel agreed. “Let’s assume the heist was about pulling the curtain back on how unfair the economy is and how broken our criminal justice system is when addressing these issues - do you think they succeeded in sending that message?”

“I’m not sure,” a girl at the back of the lecture hall added. “They all vanished after.”

“They did,” Raquel agreed, “the real impact was how they were able to play the system in a way that allowed them to pull it off. Whoever planned it knew every protocol, every move, how to play the politics of different organizations to their advantage…” 

“Is that why you quit? You got played?”

“No, it’s because her reputation was ruined when she chose to save Allison Parker…” another student responded before Raquel could.

Taking a deep breath to hold in the anger and hurt she still felt over those eleven days, she simply responded, “You can read the statement of why I left in the letter that I sent to the press following the heist. That isn’t important to this lecture..”

“But isn’t it,” a different girl at the back of the lecture hall challenged, “You said in that letter that you left because, as a woman, you felt like your gender was used against you every time you tried to make a decision that the people above you didn’t like. And isn’t that part of the reason for an unjust system? The people who work in those roles don’t represent the diversity of the people, especially women and minority groups?”

Raquel ran her hand through her hair, laughing at the turn this lecture was taking to hide her own discomfort. “You’re right. A big part of injustice is the lack of representation in our positions of power. Let’s look at the police, for instance, the majority of those working as officers and in positions of power are men. There is a culture of masculinity in the system that has very little understanding of crimes against women.”

“So that’s why you left? Sexism?” the same student asked again.

“I left because the people above me cared more about saving the daughter of an important diplomat than any of the other hostages. They cared more about the image the robbers were painting of the police, CNI and government than saving the hostages.” she finally responded directly out of the frustration of having to relive this dark moment in her life and unable to control what she said next.

“When the leader of the heist treats you with more respect than your own colleagues, it’s easy to start seeing the cracks in a world you once devoted all of your time to, That you believed in. One of the hardest lessons I ever had to learn was that I was working for a system that couldn’t even help me when I needed it to. Why was I letting it cause me so much anxiety? Why was I giving it so much time that I was missing important moments in my daughter’s life? And why did I let them use me as the scapegoat for the decision to save Allison Parker when it wasn’t even what I wanted to do in the first place?” She walked back to the front of the classroom and leaned her body on the podium.

“That’s why I quit. And why I became a professor - I want the future generations like you to change the system. Change it for women and the most vulnerable people in Spain. Let’s create a new definition for what “fairness” means so that we don’t keep hurting the same people over and over again.”

Raquel looked at the clock and saw there was only a half hour left and she still had a few more slides to get through.

“So to quickly answer the first question of whether I think the heist had a positive impact? Yes, I do believe in some ways it did. I think we’re starting to have these conversations more and more now because people feel empowered to finally stand up and say ‘enough, it’s time for change’. I think that we’re starting to be a lot louder in our criticism of positions of power. I don’t think that was the intention of the people behind the heist, and as much as I wish I could deny it, its impact has been felt all around the world. You’re all here because you want to see change too. Unfortunately, it’s while the people behind it are probably living on private islands and enjoying their riches in the same way the people they used to hate do,” Raquel said the final point in disgust to herself while changing the slide on her PowerPoint presentation. “Are there any other questions before I go over the rest of today’s lecture?”

One girl smiled and asked, “Do you think the guy behind the whole heist was hot? The professor? He sounded so mysterious.”

Raquel laughed at this uncomfortably with the rest of the class, remembering the many dreams she had meeting the man behind that voice but quickly shook off that feeling, “I never saw him and that’s not very relevant to today’s topic, so let’s carry on,” she smiled thankful they were willing to move on and started talking about power dynamics in the government that can cause bias in the criminal justice system. 

*******

Raquel unlocked the door to her 4 bedroom apartment along the beach in Poblats Marítims, Valencia. It was spacious enough for her, Paula and her mother but she had to admit there were days she missed her house in Madrid.

Placing her car keys on the table by the entrance, she yelled hello to her mom and went directly to her room to finish packing. She was emotionally drained from her lecture and was ready to get away for a few days and not have to think about any of this. Her only priority will be relaxation.

“Raquel,” her mother greeted as she walked into her bedroom in a flowy white dress and light blue cardigan. She was relieved to see that this was one of her good days. She was embarrassed to admit that she had missed her mom’s diagnosis for too long while working so many long hours as an inspector. It wasn’t until she quit her job and reconnected with an old friend who referred her to a professor position at the University of Valencia that she started to see the change in her mother. 

“Mama, “ Raquel greeted warmly. “How are you today?”

“Fantastic. Vero took me for a walk along the beach, and it was so beautiful,” she responded.

Raquel smiled at this happy that her mother was finally speaking highly of her nurse. After months of her thinking the woman was out to get her, she was relieved her mother now trusted her and accepted her help.

“I’m glad,” she responded while putting the last few items in her suitcase and closing it.

“Why are you packing?”

 _So, the day wasn’t perfect after all._ Raquel had been reminding her mom every day that she was leaving to go on vacation with her two friends, Maria and Sofia.

“I’m going to Palawan with Maria and Sofia for my birthday next week. You will stay here with Vero and Paula will go stay with Maggie.”

“I can take care of Paula,” her mother frowned. “Why is she staying with Maggie?”

“Mama…” Raquel sighed and walked towards the women grabbing her hands in hers, hating that she, yet again, had to have this same conversation with her. “Paula really wanted to stay with her friend Maya for the week but promised me she would visit you every day.”

Her mother seemed to accept that answer ( _thank god_ ) and then her expression changed to a smile. “And what will you do in Palawan? Meet a handsome stranger?”

Raquel laughed at this, “I’m only going to be there for ten days. There won’t be time to meet anyone. Besides, I’ll be having fun with Maria and Sofia.”

“Well, you can also have some fun with the women too. You know, there was this one time when I was younger when my friend Carmen and I…”

“Oh stop!” Raquel laughed. “That won’t be happening either. I’m perfectly happy being single right now.”

“I’m not saying you need a relationship. Just a good bang,”

“MAMA!” 

“You’re bored, Raquel. I can tell. This new job isn’t enough for you.”

“Of course it is! I love being a teacher…”

“You don’t have to lie to me. I see the way you look at newspaper clippings from that heist. You miss the rush…”

Raquel sighed not wanting to talk about the heist again today. “It almost ruined our life, mama. I don’t miss it…” 

“You miss the excitement. I don’t want you to go back to that job, but there are other ways to find that excitement…” her mother smirked.

 _Oh, for god’s sake._ “Stop, I’m perfectly happy here with you and Paula. Our life this year has been so nice.”

“It has,” Marivi agreed. “But there’s something missing for you.”

“And what’s that?” Raquel asked, dreading that the answer would be love…

“Good sex!”

Raquel simply laughed at that. 

“Have you downloaded that dating thing Sofia talked about last week? Tin...?”

“Tinder?” Raquel smirked. “I’m not going to download Tinder.” Raquel then looked at her watch and knew she had to pick up Paula from school and take her to Maggie’s before getting to the airport in the next few hours. “All I want for the next week is to relax on the beach, explore Palawan and have fun with my friends.”

“Promise me you’ll keep your eyes open…” Raquel smiled at that. 

“I promise..”

“And maybe your legs…”

“MAMA!” Raquel yelled in shock. “I’m going to go pick up Paula from school and take her to Maggie’s before heading to the airport.”

“Ok sweetie, have fun this week. You deserve it,” she said honestly and grabbed Raquel into a hug.

“Thank you,” Raquel smiled while kissing her mom’s cheek. “I’ll call you when I land.”

“I’ll be here,” she smiled. “And don’t forget what I told you.”

Raquel smiled. “I promise if I meet a handsome stranger, I’ll open my mind… and legs, okay?” she joked, knowing the likelihood of meeting someone on a resort vacation was next to impossible.

*******

After 3 flights and 35 hours of travel, Raquel landed in Puerto Princesa with her two friends, Maria and Sofia, relieved to have made it after a long day and a half of travel. They were all eager to get to their hotel, shower and take a short nap before getting some food. 

As soon as they stepped out of the airport, they could feel the humidity in the air. On the short drive to their hotel, all Raquel could do was smile. _Paradise._

“I wasn’t sure we were ever going to make it,” Marie joked. 

“And to think we have to do that again in 10 days,” Raquel shuddered.

“That’s in 10 days! Right now, let’s celebrate that we’re here! It’s so beautiful,” Sofia responded looking at the city as their van weaved through traffic on a semi busy street filled with cars, rickshaws and motorbikes. 

“You’re right,” Raquel smiled as the van pulled up to their hotel on the ocean. It was beautiful and just what she needed. Along with the long flights, she felt herself missing Paula. Of course, she’s at the age where mama was no longer cool to have around so she barely hugged her goodbye in the excitement of staying with her friend. Raquel knew Paula was happier in Valencia now and did appreciate that now had a more flexible schedule for her, but it had been a tough few months of crying and stress over leaving all of her friends in the beginning. And also being so far away from her papa. Raquel was relieved over that part, but Paula didn’t know what Alberto had put her through, and she hoped her baby girl never had to find out. 

“Where is your mind, chica?” Maria asked when the van stopped and the driver got out to open their doors and retrieve their luggage.

“I was just thinking about Paula,” Raquel smiled, “she barely hugged me goodbye.”

“I know that phase well,” Maria smiled in sympathy. “Alba barely even looked at me when I left. I think she was more excited for me to leave than I was!”

“I’m not looking forward to the teenage years,” Raquel grimaced.

“Ladies!” Sofia clapped, “We’re in paradise, the ocean is just a short walk away and I think I saw a hot tourist in the lobby. No more kid talk!”

“You’re married,” Raquel reminded her laughing while taking her luggage from the driver and paying him for the ride. “Thank you,” she smiled. He nodded at her and her two friends and then went back to his vehicle. 

“That doesn’t mean I can’t look!”

“Come on,” Raquel smiled, leading her friends to the reception desk to check into their rooms. “There’s a bed waiting for me right now.”

“Maybe I can ask that man to join you,” Sofia smirked.

“Not you too!” Raquel shook her head. “My mom basically told me to keep my legs open on this trip” she rolled her eyes.

“She’s not wrong,” Maria agreed. “When was the last time you opened your legs?”

“Oh, stop!” She rolled her eyes. “We’re here to have fun and relax. All my legs are getting is a tan this week.”

“Are you sure about that?” Maria poked at her to look outside to see a taller man who looked to be in his early 40s with dark hair and a beard talking on his phone. “He’s cute.”

Raquel looked at the man, agreeing he was good looking. “He’s probably here with his family.” 

“I can go and ask,” Sofia smiled looking at him closely. “He’s definitely good looking.”

“Oh stop!” Raquel smacked her arm lightly while they waited for their room keys.

“Ok ok,” she backed off and took their room keys from the young woman behind the desk, thanking her. “Let’s get some rest and meet in a couple of hours for dinner?”

They all agreed, walking into their rooms to shower, rest and get ready for dinner in the hotel restaurant. Raquel was exhausted and ran directly to the bed, jumping on it and smiling. 

“Finally,” she smiled leaving her thoughts of Paula and her life back in Spain. She was turning 41 this week, and all she wanted to focus on was enjoying everything this beautiful island had to offer. It was still pretty early in Spain, so the last thing she thought about was calling her mom around dinner time tonight before falling into a deep sleep.

*******

It was early evening in Palawan, the sun was setting and Raquel was finally feeling alive again after a glorious nap. She walked into the restaurant and saw Maria and Sofia at a table with a couple of drinks.

“You’re finally awake!” Maria smiled. “We tried knocking on your door but you didn’t answer.”

"I just had the best sleep of my life,” Raquel smiled, sat next to Sofia and gestured at the waiter for a drink.

“I’m glad. Maria and I were just talking about our plans for tomorrow.”

“Oh? I thought we’d just enjoy the beach tomorrow.”

“Raquel! No, I have already booked us on the Underground River Tour. It leaves tomorrow at 8am,” Sofia responded.

“That actually sounds like fun,” Raquel smiled while looking behind her friends to see the man she saw before walking towards to the bar.

“What are you looking at,” Maria turned around quickly.

“It’s not what but who,” Sofia smirked.

“Stop, I wasn’t looking anywhere,” Raquel blushed slightly over being caught.

“Come on, Raquel, you don’t have to lie to us. Go for it,” Maria encouraged with a huge grin on her face.

“What am I supposed to do? Hi random stranger, I’m Raquel from Spain. I’m here for 10 days, want to fuck?”

“I’ve heard worse pick up lines,” Sofia encouraged.

Raquel disagreed while laughing. “I’m not here for that,” she confirmed again as she grabbed the hands of her two friends, “I’m here to spend time with two of my best friends on a beautiful island.”

“We’re just saying that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if you want to have a little fun as the single woman you are… as long as it doesn’t interfere with my itinerary,” Sofia smiled.

“Exactly. When was the last time you’ve… had a bit of fun anyway?” Maria asked again because Raquel always avoided answering this question.

Raquel looked down at this not wanting to reveal how long it’s been since she’d been intimate with another person.

“6 months?” Maria guessed and Raquel continued to look away, “a year?”

“Let’s not do this…” she protested.

“Since Alberto?” Sofia finally guessed, leaving Raquel to put her head in her hands in defeat.

“Raquel!”

“I haven’t met anyone who I’ve been able to… get close to since then. I told you both what happened. It’s been hard to trust anyone…”

“I know, sweetie,” Maria sympathized and grabbed her hand from across the table.

“I’m going to slap that man if I ever meet him,” Sofia exclaimed, “that son of a bitch didn’t deserve you and I can’t believe what he got away with.”

“Thank you for that,” Raquel smiled, appreciating how caring her friends were towards her. One of the best parts of moving to Valencia was making two really good friends - something she lacked for the last few years in Madrid unless you counted the three times a year she went out with her fellow police officers for drinks. 

“We both just want to see you happy again,” Maria responded.

“And satisfied…” Sofia smirked.

“I swear, you’re worse than my mother,” Raquel laughed and then looked at the time on her phone. It was early afternoon in Spain which meant she could call her mother as promised.

“I love Marivi,” Maria laughed. “She’s right though. I can tell you miss having some excitement in your life…”

“Excitement.. Maybe I am. But it doesn’t mean I should fuck the first man I see here,” Raquel laughed. “Speaking of my mom, I should give her a quick call while we wait for our food. I’ll be back in a minute.” 

Raquel stood up and walked outside of the restaurant to find a quiet place on the hotel grounds and turned on her phone. She frowned when she realized her phone was at three percent and walked over to the bar on the opposite side of the restaurant.

“Excuse me, do you have a charger, please? For the phone?” she gestured to the bartender while showing him her phone. She hoped he could understand her broken English. He shook his head and she sighed. She turned on her phone to start drafting a text to her mom to at least let her know she made it, but her phone shut off completely. “Fuck!”

As she was about to leave the bar, a voice from behind stopped her. 

“If it’s really important, you can use mine…” the man offered in Spanish. His voice deep and rich yet also warm and kind.

Raquel felt chills throughout her whole body confused as to why she was reacting in such a strong way to a voice. Slowly, she turned around to see the man she’d seen earlier around the hotel. “That’s very nice of you, but I can wait…”

“Are you sure? It’s no problem. I have plenty of airtime on it to make international calls,” he then paused for a moment, “Are you from Spain?”

“How did you…”

“Your accent,” he smiled. “Madrid?”

“Yes…. well, I live in Valencia now,” she responded still stunned that this man who she didn’t want to admit she’d been staring at earlier was smiling at her.

“And where in Spain are you from?”

“San Sebastian, but I haven’t been back in years.” he responded. “Please, use my phone,” he offered again.

“Thank you,” she responded taking it from his hand, feeling a jolt of electricity through her body when her fingers lightly brushed the back of his hand. She tried to shake it off. “I’ll be very quick,”

“Take the time you need,” he smiled.

She dialed her home phone number through an international calling app on his phone and waited for her mom to pick up. When she didn’t, she left a quick message, “Mama, it’s Raquel. I’m calling to let you know we made it to Palawan. The island is even more beautiful than the photos! It’s a dream. I’ll bring you one day,” she smiled as she looked shyly at the man watching her intently.

“Anyway, I am using someone else’s phone, so I should keep this quick. I love you and I’ll call you later this week to give you a proper update. Oh, and don’t forget the pre-made dinners in the freezer for you and Vero. I even made some of your favourite paella. Talk to you soon. Bye!” Raquel ended the call and handed the phone back to the man in front of her.

“Thank you so much….” She started and then drifted off, realizing she didn’t know his name.

“Salva,” he revealed as he put the phone in the breast pocket of his white button up shirt.

“Thank you, Salva,” she smiled warmly. “Raquel... my name, I mean. It’s Raquel.” she said awkwardly suddenly feeling like she’d forgotten how to speak to people.

“Yes, I heard you say it on the phone. It’s nice to meet you, Raquel,” he smiled and put his hand out to shake hers.

She took it and again felt butterflies in her stomach while making contact with him. She hadn’t felt this way since.... perhaps ever. And she didn’t understand why it was happening now. It must be from all the ideas her mom and friends kept putting into her head about meeting a handsome stranger. _What were the odds?_

“It was nice to meet you too, Salva. Thank you again for letting me use your phone,” she nodded and started to go back to her friends, needing to get away from this man as quickly as possible. Her body was betraying her in his presence. 

She wasn’t sure if she heard him clearly, but she could have sworn he said, “any time” while she walked away.

When Raquel got back to her seat, both Sofia and Maria were grinning at her. They’d clearly witnessed the entire exchange. 

“What?”

“Are you serious right now? You looked like you were about to melt when he shook your hand,”

“No, I…you saw?” Raquel stumbled as she attempted to deny their suggestive looks. They didn’t say anything in return but kept staring at her intently, hoping she would reveal more.

“He was nice enough to lend me his phone because my battery died,” she admitted. “It was nothing…”

Sofia grinned at this and looked back at the bar to see the man Raquel was with quickly look away and at the bartender. “If it was so innocent, why is he still staring at you,” she laughed as she saw his head turn towards them again.

Raquel looked back at the bar and met his eyes for a quick second and then looked away as if burned. _Shit._

“It was honestly nothing,” she repeated while the waiter arrived with their food. She was thankful for the distraction as her friends were now focused on all of the amazing food in front of them. While they both started filling their bowls, she looked back towards the bar to see Salva looking at her again. This time when she caught his eye, she smiled which he quickly returned.

 _What the fuck was happening?_ She wondered as the butterflies in her stomach became almost painful. _This was bad. Very bad._


	3. Sergio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for taking the time to read and for leaving a kudos or review! The timing of this chapter is a bit all over the place, but I wanted to go in a bit deeper on how Sergio has been and his perspective. ;)

**_Palawan, Philippines - 11 months ago (One month after the heist)_ **

Sergio sat in a bamboo lounge chair that faced the ocean, enjoying the breeze and the sound of the waves while sipping his morning coffee. It had been a month since he and Andres pulled off the largest heist in Spanish history and he was relieved they were mostly able to get out undetected - only Andres, Silene and Anibal had been identified during the 11 days. And, they too, managed to escape with the rest.

It was a close call with the police pushing into the Royal Mint just minutes after they managed to escape. Unfortunately, they did lose two of their own - Moscow and Oslo - during a few chaotic moments and Sergio knew he would feel those losses for the rest of his life. 

The plan was executed almost perfectly, but one thing he didn’t anticipate was how smart and determined his opponent would be.

_Raquel Murillo._

Just thinking about the woman he negotiated with for those eleven days sent tingles down his spine. He didn’t fully understand what that meant - a deep respect for her or something else. He wasn’t able to fully define what that something else could be, but he felt himself drawn to her. Her voice, her ability to stay composed on the phone, how she could make him laugh… and, he didn’t dare allow himself to admit it then, but she was also the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

He never told anyone, but there were many days he sat by himself in a corner of Hanoi watching her enjoy a cup of coffee or meal during her breaks wishing he could find the courage to talk to her, but the opportunity never presented itself. There was always something taking away her attention.

Part of it was also the fear of talking to her. As the professor, he had no problem flirting with the inspector over on the phone because it was planned. Everything he said had a motive that he spent days scripting and rehearsing. But as Sergio, how could he approach her without completely fumbling it all up?

He had initially planned on trying to get closer to her during the investigation to get some information, but he knew the first time he saw her from across the room in Hanoi when she moved a strand of hair from her face while ordering coffee that he was in trouble. 

And then she smiled.

And it left him bewitched. She was radiant and he could feel her energy from across the room when she grinned at the waitress. And in that moment he knew one thing. Approaching her and getting to know her would jeopardize the heist, so he made the decision that he would use plan b to follow the police. But there were many times he wished he’d taken that risk because she inspired feelings in him that he’d never felt before. Feelings people described in books or the way Andres about his many wives…before they all ended in regret anyway.

This was why the audio release that she was prioritizing saving Allison Parker over the other hostages was his biggest regret during the heist. He had always planned for it to happen, but after knowing that she was being forced to say it by the CNI who he knew would never support her decision publicly when he leaked the audio gnawed at his conscious. He sacrificed the reputation of a woman who he quickly grew to respect. Who he, for some cosmic reason, felt drawn to.

And now here he was, one month after the heist, reading her resignation letter in El Pais that she had submitted to the editorial team. She wanted to share her own side of what happened during the heist, her disapproval of how the government and CNI conducted themselves, and how her daughter was used to manipulate her into making certain decisions. Sergio grew angrier and angrier with everything he read. It was the culture of masculinity in the system that pushed her to quit, and unfortunately, it was his own actions that were the catalyst for all of this happening now.

He wished there was a way he could apologize or make it up to her. It sounded ridiculous to even think about since there was no way of contacting her. And if there was, what would he say, “It’s the professor, I’m sorry… and do you to fly to the Philippines and go on a date with me?” Sergio smiled over how crazy it sounded in his head as he swiped to her photo on his iPad and stared at it. _Beautiful._

“Another beautiful day,” the voice of his brother interrupted his thoughts. Andres looked at his iPaid screen and smirked. “How’s our inspector doing?”

Sergio quickly turned off his screen as if being caught red handed and attempted to compose himself, “she uhh.. she resigned.”

“That’s a shame. I actually liked her,” Andres frowned (yet Sergio could still see the smile in his eyes) as he took the seat next to him. “Let me guess, we ruined her life?”

“Actually no,” Sergio corrected, “she was disappointed in how her side handled the heist and didn’t want to be part of the police force anymore. She said in her letter that the heist showed what changes needed to be implemented but no one wanted to listen to her.”

Andres watched Sergio closely as he talked about the inspector, feeling the respect in his tone for her. “You feel guilty, don’t you?”

“Of course I do! I’m the reason all of this happened…”

“Are you sure about that? Maybe the heist exaggerated a lot her issues with the police, but it was always there. It showed her what the system is actually like. She should be thanking us!”

“It’s no that easy…”

“Sergio, we’re in paradise. We’re millionaires. We’ve succeeded in pulling off the greatest heist in history for dad. Why are you getting so upset about this now? We should be celebrating!” Andres grinned triumphantly.

“I know,” Sergio agreed, ‘I just don’t like that good people paid the price for it…”

“You always did have a big heart,” Andres smiled comfortingly. “But what’s done is done. Focusing on it doesn’t change anything.”

“You’re right,” Sergio agreed reluctantly and looked at the ocean, hoping that the sound of the waves would provide some healing to all of the guilt he felt. The lives lost and those ruined… while he got to sit by a beach in a beautiful home and relax. It seemed unfair.

“I met this amazing woman yesterday,” Andres changed the subject while taking a large sip of his coffee.

“Of course you did,” Sergio shook his head. “What’s her name?”

“Jasmine, and my brother, she’s the most beautiful woman on this island. We went on a date yesterday, and I think I’m already in love…”

Sergio rolled his eyes at his brother’s declaration. This wasn’t the first time he watched his brother fall in love at first sight at the mention of a beautiful woman. Sometimes all it took was for the woman to smile at him, and he was planning their future together. 

“She has a friend who’s single. And I think I overheard her say she thinks you’re cute…” Andres suggested, hoping his brother would finally be open to love now that the heist was over. 

“Not interested,” Sergio rolled his eyes and grabbed a book next to his iPad.

“You never are,” Andres complained, “but I worry about you, Sergio.”

“I’m fine.”

“Sure, you’re fine. You’re content…. But are you happy?”

“Of course, I’m happy here with you. I’m happy I pulled off something that will be written in the history books.”

Andres rubbed his hand across his face in frustration, That’s not really living, Sergio. Now’s the time to find love, to find a partner…. We don’t know much much longer I..”

“Stop,” Sergio frowned. “We’re not talking about this again.”

“I want you to be happy. I need to know that when I’m gone, you won’t be alone.”

“One double date,” Sergio finally agreed after a few minutes of silence to appease his brother.

“Perfect because I already told Jasmine we’d meet them tonight,” he smiled victoriously.

“Of course you did,” Sergio mumbled leaving the room knowing that the woman tonight, while likely beautiful and nice, won’t catch his interest. But he would at least humour Andres and try to “live a little” as he always tells him to. 

Perhaps this was what he needed to put his thoughts about a certain inspector behind him completely.

*******

**_Palawan, Philippines - One day before Raquel's arrival (11.5 months after the heist)_ **

Sergio was awoken by an alert on his phone. He assumed, like most days, it was either a news alert from Spain or from one of his handler’s informing him about one of the other members of the heist. 

However, when he touched his phone screen, he quickly sat up shocked at what he’d read via text from one of his contacts in Spain.

_Raquel Murillo just checked into a flight to Palawan._

Shit. This was not good. This was bad, very bad. Sergio put his glasses on and stood up pacing around his room trying to figure out what to do. 

Did she find them? Was this a vacation? Maybe it was both? 

She knew Andres, so he had to ensure that his brother went nowhere near Raquel. Perhaps he should convince his brother to take a short vacation with him for a few days until she leaves. Yes, that would be very smart. 

Sergio sat back on the bed to stop himself from having a complete nervous breakdown over this news and finally texted his contact back.

_Do you know the purpose of the trip? Do you think she found us?_

He waited for a response watching those three dots as if whatever was said next would determine his fate.

_I don’t think so. She checked in with a couple of friends. It looks like it’s a vacation. I also asked around and I don’t think she’s focused on the heist at all._

Relief. 

Sergio went to grab his iPad and opened the folder he had named “RM” which included links to news articles about her that he kept up with over the past year. She was a professor at the University of Valencia for criminology and she was also working on her PhD on crime prevention in at-risk communities through digital technology. He opened a more recent photo of her that was on the university website and stared at it for a few minutes - she looked so much more relaxed than he’d last seen her. And he didn’t think it possible, but even more beautiful than he even remembered. 

A big part of him wanted to find some way to meet her. To keep an eye on her, of course. He wasn’t going to do anything stupid he tried to convince himself. 

He texted his contact again.

_Do you know where she’s staying?_

_Princesa Garden Island Resort & Spa _

  
  


*******

With only a day to plan, he convinced his brother to stay in their home on the northern part of the island and didn’t tell him about Raquel. He didn’t want to alarm him. At least that’s the excuse he kept repeating in his head to convince himself he was making the right decision.

Sergio and Andres were planning to open a vocational training college for hospitality on the island, so it was the perfect excuse to travel to Puerto Princesa to meet with a few potential educational partners and look into locations to build the school. See? He was there for work and to monitor a potentially disastrous situation. That was all. 

And yet, somehow on the first day Raquel arrived, he found himself next to her at the hotel bar, offering for her to use his phone. _Idiot._

It was the morning after his first meeting with Raquel in the bar. Sergio was in the hotel restaurant enjoying an early breakfast before he went location scouting for the new school. He’d had a sleepless night tossing and turning with his mind on Raquel: her voice, the way she smiled at him, her smell, how his heart raced when her fingers grazed the back of his hand when she took his phone...

This wasn’t supposed to happen. He had thought that over the past year he’d romanticized the idea of her in his mind. His foe during the heist. The attraction he felt for her was linked to seeing her during a high stress situation. It wasn’t anything substantial. And the fact he couldn’t get her out of his mind for a year? That could easily be explained by his guilt of ruining her reputation and hoping she’d find a way to bounce back. And she did. He was no longer meeting Inspector Murillo but rather Professor Murillo and the thought alone made his pants tighten around his groin. 

But it was a fantasy, wasn’t it? So why was it that just a few minutes in her presence had him completely infatuated. He couldn’t stop staring. Her grateful smile when he offered his phone. The way she lovingly left a message for her mom. How she laughed when her friends teased her when returning to her seat.

And now, here he was hoping they’d meet again. Wishing he could talk to her about her PhD and debate the criminal justice system with her. This was all so confusing and not to mention extremely dangerous. He needed to check out of this hotel and go back home right away. That’s exactly what he’d do after breakfast, he decided.

“Salva,” he was interrupted.

There she was. Again. He looked up to see her beautiful brown eyes staring down at him with a plate of food she’d collected from the hotel’s buffet - toast with a side of fresh fruit.

“I’m so sorry to disturb you. I just saw you here and wanted to thank you again for letting me use your phone yesterday. I’d like to pay you back for any long distance charges.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he assured her. “It was no problem. Have you been able to talk to your mom?”

Raquel frowned at the thought of her mom. She had called her again before going to sleep but she didn’t recognize her voice, leaving Raquel a bit heartbroken. She’s been through quite a few of these days, but the sting never seemed to lessen.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh yes, sorry,” Raquel snapped out of it and laughed at herself. “I did talk to her, but..” she stopped herself before she was going to unload on a complete stranger. A handsome stranger she had a hard time getting out of her mind yesterday, but still a stranger who didn’t need to be burdened by her problems.

“Please sit,” he gestured to the chair in front of him. 

“Oh, thank you,” Raquel smiled and sat down opposite of him, taking a small piece of mango off of her plate and placing it in her mouth.

_Even the way she ate mango was perfect. He needed to get out of this situation…fast._

“So, do you live here in the Philippines? You had mentioned yesterday you hadn't been living in Spain for a while..” she rambled nervously in an attempt to make conversation.

“I do,” he smiled. “I live further north, and I’m here on business this week,” he responded. It was mostly true.

“How amazing it must be to wake up on this amazing island every day,” Raquel gushed. “What is it that you do?”

“I’m opening a hospitality college here in the city. Tourism has been booming in the area and jobs are starting to grow but so many of the people are being left out, so I’m hoping this school will be for people who can’t afford to go to university in the bigger cities.”

That’s really amazing of you,” Raquel was impressed. “How will you make it affordable?” 

“No tuition cost and very minimal fees for students who would have to live on campus.”

“That sounds like an impossible dream…” 

“It’s not,” Sergio responded, “I have a few investors... _(Lie. He was the sole investor)_. The approach is a bit different, but I want to turn it into a social enterprise. We’ll open a restaurant here that will be a teaching restaurant for the students and the money we get back from that will go into the school. I’ve also been in meetings with a couple of Australian universities for a partnership so that the degrees we offer meet international standards.”

Raquel couldn’t help but stare at his genuine excitement as he told her about his plans. He was completely captivating. 

“I’m impressed,” she grinned. “I think the idea is amazing.”

“It’s not mine unfortunately. I met a gentleman on vacation a few months ago who told me about one he has opened in Vietnam with his wife. And I’d been doing some small education consulting and teaching jobs _(another lie unless you count educating the members of the heist)_ and the more I thought about it, the more I realised I could do something similar here.”

“Is this something you plan to do with your wife as well?” _Smooth._ Raquel thought while she listened to this man talk so passionately about his plans. She had felt physically attracted to him yesterday and yet the more he talked, the more she felt a spark of something else. Something deeper.

Sergio choked on a piece of fruit and coughed into his napkin, “I’m not married…” he stuttered..

“Oh, I’m sorry… you had mentioned the man you met had a wife and I thought maybe…”

“No, no wife.... How about you?”

“No, no wife,” Raquel joked and they both laughed over how awkward this conversation was becoming. “I’m divorced,” Raquel revealed.

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be. He’s an ass,” She revealed

Sergio knew that. He knew of the report she filed for domestic violence, the restraining order, her attempts to keep him from their daughter… How anyone could treat this woman like anything less than the goddess she is Sergio would never understand.

“I’ve been happier this past year without him in my life,” she continued.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Sergio smiled. 

“That I’m happy or single?” Raquel flirted.

Sergio, choking on his own saliva this time in discomfort, was unsure of how to respond. Here she was - the woman he couldn’t get out of his mind for a year - flirting with him. How did he get himself in such a predicament? _He was the professor! He didn't flirt._

He simply chuckled awkwardly in response.

“I’m joking with you,” Raquel smiled taking a bit of pity on him. For some reason, she felt his shyness endearing and enjoyed the fact she could make such an attractive man blush.

“Right,” he laughed, silently thanking her for not making him answer, and yet, a part of him wanted to flirt back. He wanted to try and push this connection further. Which was utterly ridiculous since just a few minutes ago, he was ready to check out of the hotel and run away from her.

Before he could gather any confidence, her friends entered the room and gestured for her to join them.

“I’m so sorry to cut this short, but our tour bus is about to leave,” she apologized.

“That’s okay, that’s what you’re here for and there’s so much to see on this island,” he smiled as she grabbed her bag from under the table and stood up.

“Thank you for letting me join you… and for letting me use your phone yesterday. It was lovely talking to you, Salva.” 

“Both,” Sergio simply blurted out as she put her backpack on.

“What?”

“The answer to your question before. I’m glad for both…” he revealed shyly.

“That’s good to know,” she grinned at him, feeling her own blush creep up to her cheeks. “Will I see you around?”

That was the million dollar question for Sergio. Should he stay or go home and simply tell her it was nice to meet her. The smart thing would be to cut this off now.

“I’ll be around,” he grinned. _Idiot. Again._

“Great,” she smiled, relieved by his answer. “See you around then, Salva”.

“See you around,” he whispered as she started to walk towards her friends who were both smiling at her suggestively. He overheard her tell them from across the hotel “Don’t say anything” and laughed when they both squealed and hugged her tightly as if to celebrate the fact that she had just talked to him. 

The smart thing would be to leave now. To let the memory of this moment be enough for him. And yet, for the first time in his life, he didn’t want to do the smart thing. In fact, he knew that his heart wouldn’t even give him the option now that he knew how easy she was to talk to and how much he enjoyed her company. Even the few dates Sergio had tried to go on at his brother’s insistence this year didn’t compare to even a fraction of how he felt after a 15 minute conversation with her. She was everything he never thought he wanted or needed...

_He was screwed._


	4. Deeper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who has taken the time to read, leave kudos and comments on this story. I really appreciate it. I'm not the most confident creative writer, so it gives me the inspiration to keep trying. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter xx

Raquel, Maria and Sofia were currently on a small boat being rowed by a local guide through a few beautiful caves in the quiet waters in Puerto Princesa Subterranean River. Although they were among many small tourist boats, it felt like a moment of peace for the three women who all lived very busy lives back in Valencia as full-time working mothers. For the first half hour, there was complete silence as they absorbed the scenery that even a postcard couldn’t capture the beauty of.

After they were rowed through the first cave and back in open water, Maria finally broke the silence. “I can’t believe we’re here,” she gasped as she took photos of the surrounding mountains at every angle possible.

Raquel, on the other hand, preferred to allow her eyes to be her camera only taking a few photos when they saw something new. “I know, this looked amazing in the photos but it’s somehow even more breathtaking here…”

“Speaking of breathtaking..” Sofia started.

Raquel knew where this was going, “Stop,” she laughed. “I already told you both everything on the bus.”

“But we want to hear it again,” Sofia encouraged while taking a photo of Raquel with the calm water behind her.

“I thanked him for letting me use his phone and we made some small talk about our jobs,” Raquel recited just as she told them on the bus.

“If that’s true, why were you blushing as you left?” Maria smiled.

“I did not!” she denied and then quickly added, “And how would you be able to see that?”

Sofia laughed, “Okay, maybe we didn’t see you blush but we did see ‘the smile’”

“The smile?”

“Yes, the ‘I’m interested in you’ smile,” Sofia mocked in a high pitch voice, making Maria laugh and Raquel roll her eyes.

“And he never stopped staring at you as you walked away,” Maria added.

“Oh yes, he’s totally smitten for you,” Sofia smiled.

“I just met him yesterday. No one’s smitten,” Raquel denied while taking a photo of the second cave they were about to be rowed through.

“Raquel,” Maria started as if she was thinking of a new way to approach this, “this is the first time I’ve even seen you show a spark of interest in anyone since you moved to Valencia. And maybe even since Alberto...”

“Your point?”

“You deserve to be happy,” She finished.

“And you deserve some orgasms!” Sofia jumped in.

Raquel quickly looked back at the gentleman rowing their boat to see if he was reacting to their conversation. She knew it was unlikely he understood Spanish, but this was the last topic she wanted to talk about in front of a stranger.

“I’ve had orgasms,” Raquel responded completely mortified that this was the conversation they were having while on a boat being rowed through a beautiful cave.

“By someone other than yourself in the last 2 years?” Maria accused.

“Well, no… but that’s not the point. I make myself happy when I need it. I don’t need another relationship that’s going to destroy me the way Alberto almost did.”

“Who said anything about relationships? You deserve to have some fun. I wish I could erase that jackass from your mind...” Maria softened realizing that Raquel was scared to move on given her history.

“I wish that too. I don’t want to feel like this, but how can I be intimate with someone when all I can think about is the time he slapped and kicked me off the bed because I didn’t want to have sex with him or the time he whipped me with his belt because I wore a tight skirt to work and some of the other guys commented on it…” she blurted out as tears formed in her eyes and then continues. “I appreciate your concern for my love life and I’m so happy to have two friends who care about my happiness… but it’s going to take a lot more than a handsome man lending me his phone to be ready for that again…”

“Oh honey,” Sofia turned around and grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry we’re pushing this so hard on you.”

“Yes, if you’re not ready, that’s okay. But, if I may suggest, maybe Salva is exactly what you need right now. He seems interested. What’s a night of passion get yourself over that fear? There’s no pressure, we leave in a week, he lives here… you’ll never have to see him again...” Maria suggested. 

“That’s true. He could be the one who gets you over this wall you’re hiding behind. And who knows, maybe it will be really fun?”

Raquel contemplated their words for a moment, wondering if they had a point. They were only here for a week. There would be no time for feelings or any messy aftermath. It would just be fun and maybe that’s what she needed right now. Fun without any complications.

“I see you’re thinking about this…” Sofia encouraged.

“Maybe,” Raquel relented. “Maybe I could be open to a short sex-only fling to see if I even still know how to do it…” she laughed.

“That’s the spirit!” Maria cheered.

“And if you need any pointers….”

Raquel rolled her eyes at that and laughed. “But I don’t even know how long Salva is here for and if he’d even be interested in me…”

“Raquel, you know I love you, but are you stupid? You always know when someone is interested in you. Remember La 3 Club for my birthday? You could identify every guy who was about to try and talk to you before they made a move, and you were right every time.” 

“That’s true. You have some weird sense about men…. I guess it’s the cop in you,” Sofia added to Maria’s story.

“Salva’s different,” Raquel revealed. “I got the sense that he’s not really the type to approach women just for sex. He seems very intelligent, reserved and cautious from what little I’ve seen.”

“Different is good,” Sofia encouraged.

“But it also means he’s probably not the type to have a fling with a stranger who is only visiting for a couple of days,” Raquel responded with the tinge of disappointment in her tone. 

“You don’t know that for sure…” Sofia said as the boat was exiting the cave and was back in the open water again. “Maybe you’re the one woman who can bring that out of him...”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Raquel laughed. 

“What’s so ridiculous about that? You’re hot, smart, funny.... Any guy would jump at the chance to have you for a night.” Maria grinned while grabbing Raquel’s hand and squeezing it.

“Thank you,” Raquel smiled and squeezed Maria’s hand in return. “I’ll be open minded about him - that’s all I can promise for now.”

“It’s a start,” Sofia smiled.

“As beautiful as this is, how much longer are we on this boat? I’m starving!” Raquel complained before the three went back to enjoying the scenery in comfortable silence.  


*******

Sergio walked through the doors of the hotel after a long afternoon of looking for locations for the school and restaurant he was planning to fund. He held his motorbike helmet in his right arm while wiping the sweat from his forehead. 

He nodded at the women behind the reception desk, smiling at them and walked towards the elevator. He was excited to have found an old abandoned warehouse just outside the city for the school, but he knew it would be a lot of work to build it into a school and residence building. And his frustration over the slow pace of work in the city was starting to wear on his patience. He was so inspired to get this moving but every construction company he had reached out to was telling him it would take years to build.

He opened the door to his room and let his body fall into the bed in complete exhaustion. He looked at his phone and saw a message from Andres and a voicemail from an unknown number. He started by opening the message from Andres asking him to give him a call once he was free.

Sergio hit the phone icon just for his brother to pick up on the first ring.

“Sergio! Finally. I’ve been waiting for you to call for a couple of hours now. Where were you?”

“I was looking at a couple of locations for the school. I think I found the perfect place but getting it built is going to be challenging.”

“That’s wonderful! Let me talk to the construction companies. I can convince them to move a bit quicker for the right price.”

“I will not let you intimidate anyone, Andres.” Sergio warned, “We’re going to do this in a way that’s respectful of the local culture.”

Andres rolled his eyes at this, “We’ll talk about this more when you’re home. When are you coming home?”

Sergio paused for a moment because he told his brother he’d be gone for only a couple of days and there was no reason to stay longer - at least no reason that he wanted his brother to know about. 

“I’m going to stay a couple of more days…” he stumbled, “to um… inspect the warehouse more to and find a local architectural firm to work on the building design.”

“You don’t need to stay for a couple of days for that. Most of the companies are in Manila…” Andres remarked suspiciously. “Unless there’s another reason you want to stay…” he teased.

Sergio almost choked at the insinuation, “No, no of course not. What other reason would there be?”

“You tell me, brother…” Andres continued to tease. “Did you meet someone?” he laughed.

Sergio paled at the question. He was never good at lying to Andres, “Of course not.”

Andres laughed again, knowing how to mess with his brother’s head. 

“How would I meet someone? I’m at the hotel and only working on this project. I-”

“I think you’re protesting too much…” Andres observed. “Sergio, has the unthinkable happened? Is my brother smitten for a woman and trying to hide it from me? His only family?” Andres pouted while smiling over Sergio’s discomfort. 

Sergio pushed his glasses on his face unsure of how to answer this question. He couldn’t tell him the truth and jeopardize not only their safety but Raquel’s as well. “I haven’t,” he attempted again.

Andres smiled at this, knowing he was being lied to. It seemed like the unthinkable had happened and for some reason, his baby brother wasn’t ready to tell him. “Ok, ok… I won’t push you, but Sergio, if you have met someone who has finally gotten your attention then please don’t let her go. You deserve happiness.”

“Thank you,” Sergio simply replied. “But there’s nothing to keep or let go of,” he continued in denial. 

“Maybe I should come down-”

“No!” he quickly interrupted. “There is no need to come down. I will be leaving once I have purchased the land for the school. There is no one keeping me here, I promise.”

Andres laughed at this. His brother was definitely hiding something, but he’d let it go for now. “Whatever you say,” he smiled. “I have a date tonight with Ella who also has a single friend. Maybe I’ll introduce you when you get home.”

“Sure, that sounds great,” Sergio quickly agreed wanting this conversation to end.

“You agreed a little too quickly, brother,” he laughed again. “I’ll talk to you soon. Let me know when you have secured the land.”

“I will. Enjoy your date,”

“Oh, I definitely will. I’m pretty sure she’s the one…”

Sergio rolled his eyes. _Every. Time_. “Great, I look forward to meeting her in a few days. Bye”

“Bye.”

Sergio ended the call and let out a deep sigh. He hoped he had done enough to keep his brother home and away from Puerto Princesa. He then tapped on the message from the unknown number and listened…

_“Hello, I received a call from this phone number. I’m Raquel’s mother and I really need to speak to her and can’t get ahold of her. It’s urgent. Tell her Alberto is in town and to call me right away.”_

Sergio’s heart raced at the last line. Knowing Raquel’s history with this man, he was aware how stressful this would be for her to hear. Not only that, but he also knew she would be on the next plane home if she thought her mother and daughter were in any danger.

Panic filled his chest at the thought of her leaving so soon. He felt compelled to do something about it even though, logically, her leaving right now would be the best option for both of them. 

Opening his contacts, he tapped on a Spanish number and sent a quick text.

_I need you to handle something for me. If you do as I say, there will be €10,000 in your account tomorrow._

Logic be damned.

He quickly got a response back agreeing to help, and he sent over instructions to intimidate Alberto, his photo and also the contact for Raquel’s mother.

Sergio then put his phone on the night stand and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower while he waited for confirmation that what he asked for was completed. He knew he was taking a small risk intervening as Alberto could investigate this if he wanted to, leading it back to him. However, the idea of Raquel leaving a few days earlier than planned made him feel sick. He wished he was stronger than how he was acting. This was completely out of character for him, but he let her slip through his fingers a year ago, and he wasn’t about to make the same mistake again, especially not after finally talking to her for the first time.

A couple of hours later, Sergio received a text confirming that his request was complete and Alberto was on his way back to Madrid. Sighing in relief, Sergio checked the time and saw that it was 4pm. Raquel should be back from her excursion now.

He called the front desk asking what room she was in, making up an excuse for having to get that information. 708.

“Salamat,” he thanked the woman in Filipino.

A few moments later, he was in front of her door, taking a deep breath. _You can do this, Sergio_ , he encouraged himself while he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and straightened his glasses. After one last final breath, he knocked three times.

“One minute!” he heard her say and could hear her quickly shuffling around the room to get to the door.

“Maria, I told you-” she began as she opened the door only to be met with a very shocked Sergio in front of her. She looked down at her appearance and realized she was only in a towel as she’d assumed it was her friend.

“Salva,” she finally greeted after a moment of internal panic over how she was dressed.

Sergio wasn’t fairing in any better as he was completely frozen by the vision of her wet hair, freshly cleaned skin and the small towel around her body that stopped mid thigh not leaving much to the imagination.

“Salva,” she repeated. “Is everything okay?”

After a few moments too long of staring, he finally pulled his eyes from her body and looked into her beautiful deep brown eyes. “Yes, sorry, I just wasn’t…”

“Expecting me to answer the door in a towel?” she teased enjoying the fact she was able to have this effect on him. It was flattering that she could make such a good looking man speechless.

He coughed in response over how blunt she was, “Um, yes…” he responded unsure of how to formulate a sentence and almost forgetting why he was at her door in the first place.

“Not that it’s not nice to see you again, but why are you here?” She finally asked curious as to how he not only found her room, but why he was seeking her out. Had she been wrong about the type of guy he was earlier today? Would she say yes if he asked to tear off her towel and take her right now? 

“Uhh.. yes, why I’m here,” he stumbled to put together his thoughts. Here she was standing in front of him with her hair dripping water on her shoulder and down towards her… _No! Focus, Sergio!_ “Your mother left a message on my phone…” he finally blurted out.

“Oh,” she responded a bit shocked _(and also somewhat thankful he wasn’t there to hit on her… somewhat…)_. “Come in,” she gestured and he followed her into the room, closing the door behind him.

“Let me just put something on quickly,” she announced and pointed to the chair next to her bed, encouraging him to take a seat while walking into the bathroom. Seconds later, she walked out in a white robe and sat on the bed next to him. “What’s the message?”

He unlocked his phone and went to the message, putting it on speaker phone for both to listen. The colour left Raquel’s face quickly and he could see the fear in her eyes as soon as Alberto’s name was mentioned.

“Shit,” she said. “Oh, shit…” she stood up and started pacing. “I’m so sorry she brought you into this, Salva,” she apologized.

She moved to her suitcase, opened it and started putting clothes inside. “That fucking bastard. I can’t leave for one week…” she muttered to herself as she carelessly threw her stuff in her bag, taking her frustration out on the clothes.

Sergio, panicked by her reaction, stood up and walked over to her. “What’s going on?” he asked pretending he didn’t already know all of the details. He felt like an ass in this moment.

“My jackass of an ex husband decided to try and find my daughter while I’m away,” she responded angrily as she closed the suitcase. When she turned towards Sergio, he could see the tears and panic on her face. 

Sergio did his best to look confused as he took her arm and led her back to the bed so she could sit down and breathe through this anxiety attack.

“I’m so sorry,” she said again, rocking her body back and forth in an attempt to control her emotions.

“Sorry for what?” he asked. “Raquel, are you okay? What’s going on?”

She looked at him and saw the concern in his eyes. She wasn’t yet sure if she could trust him, but she had to talk about this or else it would cause a severe panic attack. “Remember when I told you my ex husband is a jackass?”

“Yes…”

“He was more than a jackass…” she started, “He um…” she started in an attempt to get the words out but struggled.

“What did he do?” he asked concerned. Seeing her strong reaction and demonstrating how much emotional stress Alberto caused such an amazing woman infuriated him in a way he hadn’t expected.

“He abused me,” she admitted and the second she said “abused” she had to do her best to hold back a sob. “For a couple of years until I finally left him…”

“I’m so sorry,” he said, “It’s hard for me to believe that anyone could be so cruel to someone as amazing as you...?”

“Thank you,” she responded. “But it wouldn’t have mattered if I was Mother Teresa. He is a sick man…”

“He is...Did you ever report him?”

“Not at first,” she regrettably admitted, “He works for the police. He’s well liked… And I was scared of how it would look…”

“Oh Raquel…” he said, still fuming over all of this. 

“But a few months later, he started seeing my sister of all people. And I didn’t want her to go through what I did… I told her everything, but she didn’t believe me.”

“How could she not believe you? We’ve just met, and I can see you’re telling the truth…” He said in an attempt to not only comfort her but to show her he was on her side.

“I appreciate that,” she smiled through tears. “She didn’t believe me because he’s charming. It doesn’t start right away, you know? We were together for a few years, and it was great. He was funny, charming, supportive…he wasn’t threatened by my career...”

“You don’t have to tell me…” Sergio protested in concern.

“No, please, I need to…”

“Of course,” he encouraged her to continue.

“But then it started to change slowly. First, it was asking to change my profile photo to me and my daughter, and I think ‘he just loves his family. That’s sweet’ or to not wear a tight skirt to work and I think ‘he’s just looking out for me in a male dominated office’, but then one day I say the wrong thing and he....pushes me against the wall as hard as he can. But he cries at that. He can’t believe what he did. So he apologizes and promises it will never happen again. And I accept that because I knew him to be this sweet man. But it doesn’t stop. And then the shame and fear take over. And a year and a half passes by until I finally had the strength to leave him…”

It took everything in Sergio to not get on a plane to Madrid and punch this man over and over again. He wasn’t a violent man. But seeing this strong and beautiful woman fall apart in front of him over a man who hurt her both physically and emotionally for years overwhelmed him. “You are strong,” he finally responded.

“But I didn’t report him until months later. And by then the bruises had healed. No proof… and because he was with my sister, I was acting out of jealousy. The crazy ex-wife.”

“Raquel, anyone who hears your story would see you’re telling the truth…”

“No one wanted to believe me. Not his colleagues, not my family,” she cried. “It wasn’t until the famous heist of the Royal Mint last year that I finally took control of my life.”

“I remember reading about that,” Sergio admitted carefully. “How were you involved?” he asked dumbly.

“I guess you wouldn’t have followed along too closely,” she smiled.

He smiled back trying to hide his reaction to the irony in her words. “No, bits and pieces in the news,” he lied.

“I was the lead inspector and negotiator on the case,” she revealed. 

“Wow, that’s…”

“Crazy, I know. It was the hardest week of my life..”

“I read they got away. That must have been hard..”

“No, it wasn’t that,” she admitted and, for the first time, truly shocked him with her words. “I didn’t care that they got away. They didn’t steal from anyone and didn’t kill any of the hostages. In fact, they were the ones to lose some friends..”

Sergio’s heart sank at that - Oslo and Moscow. He felt the weight of their deaths every day. “That’s very progressive of you,” he observed while trying to hide the emotion from his face. He knew she was perceptive. 

“What changed everything was how my colleagues used my case, restraining order on my ex husband and the safety of my daughter to get me to do what they wanted. I was supposed to be in charge, but they were the puppet masters. And when they forced me to make their decision about releasing a hostage, they let me take the blame for it. They let the reputation they promised to protect be destroyed in front of the world because they cared more about their own PR image than my life.”

“Allison Parker…” Sergio accidentally blurted out, feeling the guilt of that moment overtake him. 

She turned to him and laughed bitterly, “See? Even you, who didn’t follow closely, knows her name…”

“I remember it being the leader of the heist who leaked it to the press…”

“He did,” she confirmed, “but we all knew that could happen. My colleague lied to me saying the CNI would back my decision.”

“Oh…”

“Maybe the leader of the heist did me a favour…”

“How so?” Sergio perked up.

“It was that moment that pushed me to take my life back. I left a job that tried to destroy me, moved to Valencia, became a professor and finally had time to devote to my mom and daughter. If I ever faced him in person, I’d have to thank him..” she joked.

Sergio laughed awkwardly at this. “I don’t think he deserves that.”

“Maybe not,” she agreed and then paused reminiscing about the case in her mind. “I guess I should call my mom,” she finally said.

“I can leave….”

“No, please don’t,” she requested. “I’m sorry to ask this of you, but I don’t want to be alone right now.”

“Of course.”

She grabbed his hand that was next to her on the bed and squeezed it. This was the first contact between them and Sergio felt himself melting into her touch, losing himself in her all over again. “Thank you,” she responded gratefully, her eyes glistening with tears.

He simply nodded and squeezed her hand in return. “Please use my phone,” he offered.

Reluctantly, she removed her hand from his and took the phone he was offering her gratefully. She dialed the number never taking her eyes off the man next to her who graciously took the time to listen to her. His kindness was staggering.

“Hello?” a voice came on the other end.

“Mama? It’s Raquel.”

“Oh, Raquel, I’m glad you called! I was just about to try calling you again…”

“What’s going on? Alberto…”

“One second,” she said as she was likely grabbing a post-it note to read what she wanted to say to her. Hearing the papers shuffle broke Raquel’s heart.

“Here it is!” she announced and then proceeded to read it, “Alberto was here earlier demanding where Paula was. He was angry you had left her with a friend and not him,” she started.

“Mama,” Raquel interrupted. “I’m going to get on the next flight…”

“No, sweetie, that’s not necessary. He left,” she revealed.

Raquel’s face scrunched up in confusion. That didn’t sound like Alberto.

“Excuse me,” she apologized as she looked for another post-it note. “Here it is! He came back to apologize for yelling at me and told me he was going back to Madrid and wouldn’t be back. He looked scared.”

“He looked scared?” Raquel asked confused over what could have happened.

Sergio sat a bit straighter.

“Yes, but he left darling. That’s all that matters.”

“I think I should still come home. Something sounds off.”

Of course she would question this. _She was brilliant,_ Sergio dreaded. In his effort to get her to stay, he may have just given her another reason to go home. _Shit._

“No,” her mother disagreed. “This is the first vacation you have taken in years. Everything is fine here. I am even being good to Vero,” she joked.

Raquel laughed at this thankful that her mother was having one of her good days. “And Paula?”

“She’s fine, darling. She never saw him.”

Raquel sighed in relief. She knew if Paula had, she’d be demanding to be with her father. “That’s a relief.”

“Please stay,” her mother begged. “You deserve this.”

Raquel’s eyes filled with tears again at the significance of her mother’s words. She was referring to all she was doing to help her as she got sicker. “Okay,” she finally said.

Sergio almost let out the breath he’d been holding in relieved he still had a week with her.

“Thank you, mama. I better go now but I’ll call you again tomorrow to check in.”

“That sounds great. Now, go meet that man I called earlier,” she teased.

Raquel went red at how brass her mom was being in front of that man. Sergio simply laughed at the awkwardness of her mom’s words.

“Mama!”

“You promised me you’d open your legs, Raquel,” she teased.

“I’m so sorry” she mouthed to Sergio completely mortified by her mother and then turned her attention back to the phone. “I’m going now. Behave yourself!”

“I always do,” she responded in an innocent tone that had Raquel rolling her eyes. “Bye darling.”

“Bye mama,” she responded and hung up Sergio’s phone. “I’m so sorry for her,” she shook her head.

“I found it pretty funny,” he smiled. 

“Of course you did,” she shook her head jokingly. “Thank you again, Salva. For everything.”

“It was nothing…”

“It wasn’t nothing,” she corrected. “You listened to my sob story and were there for me when I was near a panic attack. How can I ever repay you?”

“It’s not a sob story. You didn’t deserve anything that happened to you,” he asserted. He felt complete respect and admiration for this woman. She was the strongest person he’d ever met.

“Thank you,” she smiled and took his hand again briefly. “You always say the right thing.”

“And you don’t have to repay me. I’m glad I was able to help in some way…”

“You’re a really good guy, Salva,” she observed and he blushed at her words. “How are you not married,” she wondered as she got up and walked to her suitcase opening it again. “Sorry, I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

Sergio looked down at his hands embarrassed by what the question implied. “You did,” he smiled. “I guess I never met a woman who took my breath away…” _Until now._

“That’s too bad,” she responded while taking some clothes out of her suitcase. “I’m going to change quickly. I’ll be right back…”

When she closed the door, Sergio let his body fall back onto her bed and let out a big sigh. What was he doing? He spent a year feeling connected to this woman. Her voice over the phone during the heist, her story, her photos. She was a distant crush, if you could call it that. But now… Now, he saw her heart. He felt her spirit. She wasn’t just beautiful, she was caring, passionate, funny, strong…. 

He was completely captivated by her. Body, mind and spirit. 

When he heard her opening the door, he quickly stood up. He needed to get out of here. To centre himself and get some control back. If he let himself fall even more, he knew it would end in a Shakespeare tragedy. 

“I should get going.” 

“Okay,” she replied disappointed that their time together was coming to an end. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt connected to him. He stirred an array of feelings in her that she hadn’t felt in years. Perhaps ever. “Are you sure there is nothing I can do to repay you for everything you’ve done for me?”

“No,” he smiled. “I’m just relieved everything is okay with you and your family.”

“That’s so sweet of you to care,” she smiled unsure of what to do next. Should she just let him leave? Should she insist that he let her repay him? 

Sergio started to walk towards the door as the urge to kiss her began to sneak up on him. He’d never felt the urge to kiss someone like this before, and it scared him. He’d desired women in the past but it was mostly his mind convincing himself he should feel that attraction. But with Raquel, all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and never let go. The power of that attraction was too much for him to handle with her standing in front of him looking so beautiful in a loose fitting white sundress. She was stunning and it was clouding his mind. He’d never experienced this strong of a pull towards a woman before.

“Enjoy your evening,” he finally said as his hand grabbed the handle of the door. Before he could open it, she interrupted him.

“Wait,” she stopped him. “Thank you again for being such an amazing listener and for helping me. And for believing me,” she smiled gratefully.

“How could I not?” He turned around. She was looking straight into his eyes and he could see her starting to lean in. He froze as if watching it all happen in slow motion. Her face moving up towards his, her lips getting closer to his but finally landing on his cheek, leaving a sweet kiss that lingered for a few seconds.

She smiled over how cute his confused expression was. Maybe Maria and Sofia were right. Maybe different was exactly what she needed right now.

“Spend the day with me,” he blurted out, surprising both of them and then grew more confident. “Tomorrow. That’s how you can repay me…”

“Okay,” she tucked her hair behind her right ear shyly. “Tomorrow…”

“It’s a date,” he confirmed.

“A date,” she repeated.

“I’ll meet you tomorrow morning at 9 in the lobby?”

“That sounds perfect,” she grinned.

“See you tomorrow,” he smiled back and opened the door.

“I look forward to it,” she responded.

“Me too,” he confirmed and let the door close between them. When it did, he leaned against the wall next to it confused over where that confidence just came from. This was the last thing he was supposed to do but hearing her talk about her past in her words, feeling her pain, and seeing her beauty so close, he knew he’d forever regret not getting to know her better. Was this smart? No, it was incredibly stupid. But he couldn’t stop himself. This was the feeling Andres kept getting himself lost in over and over again. For the first time in his life, Sergio understood his brother. Not the amount of women he felt it for, but the feeling he always tried to explain to a skeptical Sergio.

On the other side of the wall, Raquel also leaned against it replaying the whole moment with him in her head. His concern, compassion and comfort took her by surprise. She’d never felt so cared for by a complete stranger. Not even by the majority of people she called friends or lovers in her life. He was different. Special. 

She had said she’d be open to a fling earlier today, but she knew this wasn’t what a fling felt like. This was more than attraction. Was she making a mistake pursuing this? Would she only get hurt in the end?

Both of them, on opposite sides of the wall, were filled with excitement and dread for what would come next. 


	5. Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is still reading! I really appreciate all of the comments and kudos. They've inspired me to keep writing this story.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Raquel woke up early the next morning both excited and terrified about this day with Salva. Was she really about to spend a whole day with a stranger on a foreign island? How was this her life? 

She had no idea where he would take her. How did she agree to a whole day with him before even enjoying a coffee date together where she could assess whether he was psychotic or not. What were the chances that a Spanish man in his 40s would be single, at this hotel in Palawan and be interested in her without some big secret? This wasn’t a poorly written romantic comedy from America. There were too many coincidences here.

Against her better judgement, however, she didn’t want to become Inspectora Murillo and rip this apart. She was never a strong believer in fate or soulmates, but there was something about this connection that made her want to throw away her usual list of red flags and allow her heart to guide her. And her heart, when it wasn’t thumping in her chest at full speed, was telling her that this could be special.

Raquel stopped herself from being too hopeful. It could also go poorly. It was a risk, but the way he was so attentive, concerned and comforting while she was having an anxiety attack over Alberto showed her the type of man he is. She wanted to know more about him. Why was he living in the Philippines? Why did he leave Spain in the first place? Had he been married before? Was he too trying to move on after a broken heart?

Stepping out of the shower, Raquel wrapped a towel around her body smiling at the memory of how shocked Salva looked when she opened the door like this. She almost laughed at how hard he tried to hide his desire for her. The blush on his cheeks as his eyes roamed her body filled her with butterflies. It had been so long since someone looked at her like that. Desire, attraction and awe…. without the expectation of sex. 

She took the shower cap off of her hair and brushed through it and grabbed a pair of shorts and a light flowy tank top. She put on minimal make-up knowing the hot Palawan sun would eventually melt it off her face and put on a dark red lip to finish the look. Casual but it still appeared she was trying for him. What was she doing?

*******

Sergio wasn’t fairing much better as his nerves were all consuming while he was putting on the clothes he had perfectly organized in the closet for the day. He spent the night before planning every moment to ensure she got to experience some of the beauty the island had to offer that was off the typical tourist path. 

But even with all of the planning, he was terrified. Ignoring the simple fact that he hasn’t planned a date like this in his life, he knew he was falling deeper for the most dangerous person. She could destroy everything he’s built over the last year if she figured out his lie. If one detail he tells her is off. She’s trained for this, and he knew that even though she’s left that life in the past, those instincts would never disappear. _So why was he risking it?_

Because when she touched his hand, smiled at him, kissed his cheek, he felt more alive in those seconds than any other moment in his life. He knew this was selfish. He knew that he could hurt her ( _along with himself_ ) by pushing for this. He knew she was leaving in a few days and would never be back. And he’d have to make some excuse for why he’d never be in Spain. There was no future, he reminded himself bitterly.

But for these few days, he wanted to know what this type of happiness felt like. He wanted to experience being completely consumed by someone who made his heart race. He wanted to be able to look back on these few days years from now and say he knew what love felt like.

And more than that, he wanted to show her what it felt like to be adored and loved again. She’s been through so much pain in her life, especially over the last few years. So many people have taken advantage of her heart, her intelligence and her drive to do the right thing. He knew that he, as the professor, was among those people who left a black mark on her heart. But as Sergio…

As Sergio, he wanted to show her just how special she was to him. How amazing he thought she was. He would give her a day he hoped she’d always remember with a smile. He had no expectations of anything more than a friendly connection with her, but if given the chance to… _no, he couldn’t think about that just minutes before meeting her._

With one final look in the mirror to fluff his hair and check his teeth for any crumbs, he walked out of his room and towards the lobby, hoping that she would be excited for the day he had planned for her.

*******

Raquel stood in the lobby staring outside at a large van that had just stopped at the front door with a few Australian families walking out. Children were laughing in excitement for their vacation while it looked like a few different couples were organizing all of the luggage while trying to calm down the screams of excitement of the young children.

Seeing a couple of girls around Paula’s age laugh as they point out all of the beauty surrounding them filled Raquel with longing to see her daughter. She wished she’d brought her here so that she could see this same look of longing at her face at the immense beauty of this island. She hadn’t spoken to Paula in a few days other than a few short WhatsApp messages to check in where she was assured many times that Paula was having fun and didn’t need her checking in every 10 minutes. She was starting to hate this age and miss when her daughter saw Mama as her hero…

“Good morning,” Sergio greeted from behind her, interrupting her thoughts.

“Good morning,” she smiled, tearing her eyes away from the family to Salva in a white button up shirt and dark blue linen pants. He looked really good.

Sergio looked at the family behind her and recognized the longing in her eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” she smiled in return, “I was just thinking about how much my daughter would love it here.”

Sergio smiled hopefully, “You’ll have to come back and bring her one day.” _Sergio, stop, the voice in his head interrupted._

Raquel simply laughed, “Maybe one day when I’m not the enemy…. Do you have any kids?”

“No,” he responded honestly. 

“You’re lucky,” she joked. “I love my daughter more than anything, but I have to admit I hate this phase of ‘mom, you are ruining my life’ every time I say no to something.”

“That can’t be easy,” he simply agreed, unsure of what else to say.

No,” she sighed and looked back at the family again to see one of the girls clinging to her mom with a look of pure joy. She frowned for a short moment and then attempted to shake off the feeling of sadness, “What’s on the agenda today?”

“It’s a surprise,” Sergio teased. “I’m going to show you my favourite spots on this island,” He revealed as he grabbed a motorbike helmet and handed it to her. 

Raquel inspected it in shock. It didn’t even enter her mind that he would take her around on his motorbike…that seemed intimate?

“It’s the best way to see the island,” he smiled, “But this is only for a short drive.”

He led her out of the hotel and to his rental motorbike parked in the front. He opened the seat for her to place her bag inside and gestured for her to get on. She was able to easily balance herself, putting her feet on the little metal foot rests as Sergio got on the bike and turned on the engine.

“Are you ready?” he asked. 

She put her hands behind her for balance and nodded when he looked back at her. He drove them away from the resort and weaved through the traffic seamlessly. Raquel was enjoying the sites and sounds of the city around her while he drove.

When he got onto a highway and she saw a sign for the airport, she began to get confused. Where was he taking her? 

Once parked in front of a VIP entrance of the domestic terminal, Sergio handed his keys to a young man. 

“Salva, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful but why are we at the airport? I thought when you said spend the day, you meant at a nearby beach or getting a coffee…”

Sergio got off of the bike, balancing it for her to join him. “We will do those things,” he revealed, “but not here.”

“What?”

“A friend owes me a favour,” he lied about the friend as he owned his own plane but then continued, “and he offered to bring us to El Nido which has some of the most beautiful beaches on the island. I thought we could spend the day there if that’s okay with you.”

Raquel lost her breath for a moment. This man was offering to take her on a day trip to another part of the island on a private plane? “Is this what you do for all the women who visit the island,” she joked to try and bring some humour to the moment as this was overwhelming.

“Never,” he confirmed quickly and then frowned. “Is it too much?” He was so inexperienced with trying to impress someone that he allowed his uncontrollable need to impress her motivate him to plan such a grand day. He overlooked that she may find this to be too much.

“A bit,” she admitted, “No one’s ever done anything like this for me before… I don’t know what to say…” 

When he saw the tears forming in her eyes, he grabbed her right hand in his, “Maybe it’s time that someone starts to…”

He is either really smooth or the best man she’s ever met. Taking a deep breath, she responded, “You are so sweet, Salva…. but what’s in it for you?” 

She was skeptical, he thought. How did he fix this… “There’s nothing in it for me other than spending the day with you. Which I think makes it all worth it...”

Raquel was taken back by the honesty in his eyes. She’d heard every line used on her throughout the years from the “nice guy” all the way to complete scumbags, but she’d never met someone who seemed so genuinely interested in spending time with her. Was he a good actor or…

“We can go back into the city if you want and spend the day at a cafe and walk along the beach…” he let go of her hand and offered in fear that she was about to demand he take her back to the hotel and never see her again.

“No, no. I’m sorry, this is wonderful. I’m just shocked that you planned something so… amazing.”

Sergio was relieved that she was open to this. He adjusted the glasses and asked her to follow him inside the airport.

Just a few minutes later after being checked by security, they were boarding a small passenger plane. Raquel was a bit scared of flying on such a small plane, but she didn’t want to admit that so attempted to turn that energy into excitement for where they would land. It was only for an hour, she repeated to herself over and over again.

“The views are amazing from here to El Nido,” he revealed as he sat in the seat next to her. Sensing her nerves, Sergio spent the next hour telling her about the island and the places they were flying over, offering her a bit of history and the current socio-economic situation. They discussed the fear of climate change looming over the island and his hopes for the future to protect the people who lived here.

Raquel was captivated by him. He was smart, thoughtful, and caring of the place he called home. He wasn’t the typical foreigner who tried to take advantage of the poor government infrastructure. He was doing everything he could to work with people to prepare for an uncertain future.

The more he talked, the more she could feel herself slipping. This is only meant to be an adventure and maybe some fun with a complete stranger, but the conversation between them never seemed to stop. He made her feel completely comfortable in his presence. It’s been years since she has felt this way with a man, especially one who she was completely attracted to.

And when the plane was ready to land, he immediately took her hand in his when he saw the panic in her eyes. She squeezed back in gratitude and closed her eyes until the small plane was safely on the ground and stopped. She opened her eyes to see the look of concern and she simply smiled at him to let him know she was feeling better now.

“Thank you,” she whispered and squeezed his hand again before letting it go immediately missing the warmth of the contact between them.

“Anytime,” he smiled as the two got out of their seats and walked off the plane of a small airport. “I got us two motorbikes to drive to the beach… have you ever?”

“Yes, I used to drive a motorcycle when I was an officer,” she confirmed and he could see the delight in her eyes to drive one again.

“I was thinking we could go into the town and grab some lunch and then I’ll take you to a few of my favourite islands.”

“That sounds perfect.”

Sergio could feel his heart swell in his chest over how big her smile was. He’d never felt so much joy for making someone happy before, and he had to admit, this feeling was intoxicating. He wished he could spend the rest of his life making her happy…. _Oh shit. What was he doing?_

After about a 20 minute drive via motorbike through the town, Sergio parked in front of a small restaurant in front of the sea and Raquel followed behind him. It looked like a local spot that wasn’t too fancy but it was fairly popular among the locals as she listened to the many conversations around her in Filipino. People were laughing, sharing food, a few children were running around. This was exactly what she imagined when she thought about visiting Palawan.

“This place has some of the best seafood on the island,” he revealed as they walked into the restaurant. “I hope you like seafood…”

“I love it,” she confirmed. “And this place looks perfect,” she gushed while looking around at all the busy tables and looking at the prawns, squid, and many delicious plates she saw while they walked to an empty table in the corner.

“I haven’t been in a while, but my brother and I couldn’t stop talking about it for weeks.”

“You have a brother?” she asked suddenly happy that they were finally sitting and able to talk. She wanted to learn all about this man who was quickly sweeping her off her feet.

“Yes… An...Antonio,” he stumbled very close to revealing his brother’s first name. “We live together on an island north of here.”

He’s family oriented, Raquel thought. “Is he married?”

“Not at the moment. He will probably be proposing soon to start marriage number 6…” 

“Marriage number 6?!”

“He’s the type to fall in love in seconds and fall out of it even faster,” he revealed rolling his eyes.

“Wow, I’ve only been married once and I don’t know if I can see myself doing that again…”

“You don’t?” Sergio asked ( _somewhat disappointed_ ).

“I don’t know. My last marriage ended so badly that the thought of committing to someone again like that scares me…”

“Of course,” he empathized.

“And I also have my daughter to think about. Anyone I bring into my life is also in hers. Many men aren’t too interested in that…” she muttered in disappointment.

“Those men don’t know what they’re missing then,” Sergio responded.

Raquel wasn’t sure how to respond to how kind he was, so she chose to deflect. “What about you? How come you have chosen not to be married?”

“It was never my focus,” he admitted. “I was very focused on a project after my dad passed away that I didn’t make time for love…”

“I’m sorry about your dad…”

“Thank you,” he smiled gratefully. “He was my hero. I was a sick kid, and he did everything he could to get me the treatments I needed to get better. I owe my life to him…”

“He sounds like an amazing man…”

Sergio knew if he revealed the real details of how his dad turned to a life of crime and robberies to pay for his treatments, she wouldn’t be saying the same thing. But for now, he would find comfort in this. She was one of the few people he’d opened up to about this part of his history. “He was,” he agreed. “He did everything he could for me…”

“I’m glad he did,” Raquel smiled and grabbed his hand. 

Sergio froze unsure of how to react to her comforting him. No one’s ever really taken the time to listen to him like this. 

“This project… is it over now?” she continued.

“Yes, it’s complete. And now I’m working on a new passion project for me.”

“The school…”

“Yes, I’m about to buy the land for our school and start working with an architect.”

“That’s amazing. I’m sure he’d be so proud of you for this,” she smiled in awe of the man in front of her once again. He had such a big heart that she felt very few people ever got to see; yet, for some reason, he was showing it to her. 

“I think so,” he agreed again and took his hand away as the waiter placed their lunch on the table - an assortment of seafood options and a few side plates. “This looks amazing.”

“I agree! Thank you so much for taking me here. Maria and Sofia will be so jealous… we’ve been hoping to find a seafood spot like this.”

“How were they with you spending the day with me?”

“You mean after the 10 minutes of cheering?” she laughed.

“They seem like great friends.”

“They are. Maria helped me get my job in Valencia and is helping me with my PhD and Sofia helped get me out of my depression...”

“Depression?”

“After the Royal Mint heist, I hit a big low. I left my job because I lost faith in the system and people I worked with, I learned about my mom’s Alzheimer’s and Paula started to say she hated me at least once a day for keeping her from her papa.”

Sergio’s heart dropped at this. He really was a catalyst for everything falling apart in her life… he may not have been the cause, but he was the reason why it all piled on at once. He suddenly felt this urge to tell her everything just so he could apologize, but he knew that wasn’t an option. “I’m so sorry…” he wished she knew how deeply felt that.

“It’s not your fault… And it’s okay now. I think I needed it. Everything was headed there in slow motion, but the heist changed everything. It made it all happen at once, but I was able to finally address the things I’d been avoiding or missing. I got my mom the help she needed, Paula started to be happier when she made new friends, and I had friends to turn to who weren’t colleagues who looked at me differently because I tried to ruin their beloved Alberto’s reputation…”

“You’re so strong,” Sergio reiterated from their talk yesterday.

“I think I am now but there were days when I wasn’t…”

“We all have those,” he assured her. 

“This got really deep fast,” she laughed. “So, tell me, Salva, why Palawan? How did you end up in paradise?”

Sergio’s dreaded this question. He knew it was coming, but he didn’t want to keep lying to her. Every lie hurt his heart, but he didn’t have a choice. “My dad had a hard time finding work in Spain, and he made a friend who was moving to Thailand to work at a bank, so he decided after my mom died, to pack up our lives and move to Asia. We started in Thailand, and then moved to Singapore where I was able to get the treatment I needed to get better, and then we moved to Malaysia, Vietnam… his dream was to retire on an island, so when he died, my brother and I decided Palawan was the perfect place to continue our lives…”

“Wow, that’s really heartbreaking but amazing of you and your brother to live out his dream.”

“We ended up really loving it here and now with the school, we both feel like we’re a bigger part of the community.”

“Have you ever thought of returning to Spain?” _Wishful thinking, Raquel._

“No,” he admitted. “There were years where I wanted to, but this is home. I tried to go back a few years ago, but it didn’t feel right,” he lied.

“How can it compare to this paradise, right?” She joked in an attempt to hide her disappointment. This confirmed there was no future for them.

“Exactly,” he smiled, also masking his own disappointment. To her, this spot was just a vacation. She had built a life for herself in Valencia that he could never see her running away from. “You mentioned before you were working on your PhD… I would love to hear about it.”

For the rest of their meal, Raquel told him about the work she was doing and her dissertation. They talked about the criminal justice system in Spain and he offered a few new perspectives based on his own knowledge and experience in Asia. They laughed over some of the more ridiculous theories and discovered they both had similar political views. This shocked Sergio again as he assumed that since they had been on opposite sides during the heist that they wouldn’t have many of the same philosophical views, but she surprised him. She was constantly surprising him.

Once they were finished lunch, Sergio insisted on paying the bill but she refused given the amazing day he organized and had to convince the waiter to take her money and ignore him. They laughed over how scared the waiter looked as they went back outside and started their motorbikes to get to the second part of Sergio’s itinerary.

They both effortlessly drove through the streets of the small city towards the coast and went south for about 30 minutes until they made it to a dock with a few boats. Raquel had been admiring the limestone pillars throughout the drive and was elated to learn that they’d be taking a boat out to explore the stunning scenery that surrounded them.

Sergio paid a local man and took his keys, leading her on to a small motorboat. Luckily there was some coverage from the glaring and hot sun. 

“We’re actually going to explore all of this?!”

“Yes, I can also get kayaks if you’d like?”

“No, this is perfect. Wow, Salva, you’re really spoiling me…”

He simply smiled in return and nodded at the young man who was lending them his boat. We have a few hours before we have to fly back, so I thought we could drive around for a bit and spend some time on one of the little islands.”

“That’s perfect,” she gushed while he and the young men freed the boat from the dock.

“Ready?”

“Yes!!” She smiled as she took a seat while Sergio started to drive the boat into the China Sea. “This is so beautiful. Thank you so much for taking me here… how can I ever repay you?”

“Seeing you so happy is enough for me,” he smiled. “Thank you for agreeing to come out with me today. I’ve never shown anyone the island like this before.”

“I’m glad I’m the first then,” she grinned and then moved to the front of the boat to watch the view for a while as they drove further from land. 

Sergio drove the boat towards a small isolated beach on one of the limestone clusters. He parked the boat close to a small doc and tied the boat to it securely.

“Salva, I can’t believe this place… It’s like I’m living in a postcard. It is so beautiful.”

He smiled back at her, “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I’ve come here many times when I needed to get away from everything…. Do you want to swim for a bit?”

“Yes!! I need to change into my bathing suit first. Can you leave the boat and turn around?” she asked sweetly.

“Of course,” he said awkwardly while removing his pants and shirt to reveal a black pair of swimming shorts.

She quickly changed into her yellow bikini that showed off her best assets and grabbed a towel from the boat. As she walked towards Sergio, she saw his mouth drop at her appearance and smiled to herself. She loved that he wasn’t immune to her and was feeling the same attraction she was feeling for him.

She put her towel on the ground and sat next to him. “You know, all we’re missing is a good soundtrack?”

“A soundtrack?” he asked, confused.

“You know, a good song to set the mood for this amazing experience. I think I have it,” she took out her phone and pressed play on “In the Mystic” by Van Morrison.

After the first verse, Raquel saw the look of confusion on his face. “Don’t tell me..”

“Tell you what?”

“You don’t know Van Morrison!”

“Van .. who?”

“Salva!”

“What?”

“How is this possible?”

“I don’t really listen to a lot of mainstream music…”

“Oh, I see,” she realized. “You’re a snob.”

“A snob? Appreciating good music does not make me a snob.”

“And what’s good music? Something by a classical music composer who died in the 1500s?”

“Or the 1800s,” he responded bitterly pretending he wasn’t enjoying her teasing.

“See? Snob.”

“Says the woman about to get her PhD…”

“I may be getting a PhD but I enjoy rock and roll.”

“Rock and roll,” he shook his head in disapproval, “Very little can compare to Hadyn’s Violin Concerto.”

“Concerto… just saying that word makes you a snob.”

Sergio grabbed his phone and found Haydn’s Violin Concerto No 1 performed by Joshua Bell and started to play it for her.

Raquel started to fake fall asleep dramatically, “That is the worst soundtrack for a day at the beach.”

“It’s calming. Soothing like the water in front of us with some high notes that represent the beauty of the limestone pillars. And the violin could represent our connection…” 

“Our connection?” she lifted an eyebrow.

Sergio went red. He couldn’t believe he let that slip out while Haydn was playing. He should have known playing classical music with her next to him was dangerous,

“I mean.. Our great conversations,” he coughed.

“Of course,” she laughed. “If I can admit this is soothing and beautiful, will you give Van Morrison another chance?”

“Fine,” he conceded. “But no more calling me a snob,” he laughed.

“Deal,” she laughed as he turned off the concerto on his phone and she pressed play on “Into the Mystic” again.

_Hark, now hear the sailors cry_   
_Smell the sea and feel the sky_   
_Let your soul and spirit fly_   
_Into the mystic_

As the song played, Sergio couldn’t stop staring at the Raquel. The way she let the song consume her while she looked out at sea. She was so beautiful…

“What?” She smiled at him when she caught him staring.

“Beautiful,” he responded.

“The song? Yes, I told you!”

“No, you,” he admitted and then did something he hadn’t done in years. He initiated a kiss, leaving a soft peck on her lips nervously. What was he doing? She looked stunned. _Oh, Sergio you idiot…_

Before he could beat himself up too much, she lunged herself into his arms and kissed him with all of the passion she’d been holding in all day. Her lips felt heavenly on his - so soft. He quickly pulled her on his lap and deepened the kiss, rubbing his tongue on hers. She tasted of mint, tea and mango. Perfection.

_And I wanna rock your gypsy soul_   
_Just like way back in the days of old_   
_And together we will float_   
_Into the mystic_   
_Come on girl_

She broke off the kiss after a few minutes to catch her breath. “Wow,” she whispered in shock over how amazing this felt. Over how quickly he was able to inspire feelings in her that she’d suppressed for years, thinking it was near impossible to ever feel this lightness, joy and desire again.

“Yeah,” he agreed and captured her lips again. He could kiss her for days.The sensations he felt pulsing through his body were unlike anything he’d ever experienced.

“Oh Salva,” she moaned when he nibbled on her bottom lip as his hands rubbed her back. He started to grow bolder and moved his hands up to her bikini string and untied it, removing it from her body. He stared at her breasts in awe, “Beautiful,” he whispered as he started to kiss down her neck and towards her chest leaving two short pecks at the top of her breasts. “Is this okay?” he asked.

“Yes,” she moaned, and he continued moving his mouth towards her left nipple kissing around it before taking it in his mouth and sucking on it gently. “Oh, yesssss..” she moaned in disbelief that it’d been years since she’d felt like this with someone. His mouth felt like nirvana on her body. Where had this man been her whole life?

He finished with her breasts and looked at her, kissing her lips once again. He tasted of black tea, ginger and rosewood. She was completely consumed by him.

His hand started moving down her body, finding the waistband of her bikini bottoms, and he slipped his hand inside. Two fingers ran up and down her slit slowly, “you’re so wet,” he whispered on her lips, leaving one last kiss before putting more pressure on her.

“Oh fuck, Salva, that feels so good,” she moaned as his fingers entered her and slowly began fucking her. 

He was captivated by the feel of her. Her wetness, soft skin, her lips… the desire he felt for her was foreign to him, yet he wasn’t clumsy. It was as if he was meant to give this woman pleasure and his senses completely took over as if they knew exactly what she needed.

“I need you,” she sighed as she felt herself getting closer to orgasm. She moved her hands down his body and on top of his swim shorts to feel his hard cock trying to poke through. When her hand grazed over his shorts-covered tip, he moaned. 

Reluctantly, he took his hand away from her and removed her bikini bottoms. She returned the favour by gesturing for him to sit up a bit so she could remove his swim shorts. Once they were off, she stared at his swollen member in awe, noting how this attractive man even had a beautiful cock. She placed her hand on it and gave it a soft squeeze before jerking him off for a few seconds.

“Shit,” he swore as her hand was close to sending him over the edge. He grabbed her hips in hope that she’d give them both what they were yearning for. “Do you have a condom?” he asked.

“I’m on the pill,” she assured him while sitting her body over his and slowly inserting his cock inside her. After a few seconds of adjusting to the feel of each other, she began to thrust into him slowly. His hands went to her ass cheeks to help her get deeper onto him as they both began to get lost into the feel of each other.

With their breaths increasingly getting shallower as the pleasure they felt became more and more consuming, they looked into each other’s eyes amazed over how magical this moment felt. It was unlike any other experience - their bodies felt like they were made for each other as they continued to thrust into each other. Moans and whispers of their names were all that could be heard around them. He was getting closer to orgasm and knew he had to help her get there. He moved his hand between them and rubbed her clit until they both screamed in pleasure, feeling the most powerful orgasm wash over them. 

Raquel was the first to regain control and moved her body off of his and sat next to him.

“That was…”

“Yeah…” he agreed happily and took her hand in his when he saw the frown forming on her face. “What’s wrong?”

“That was amazing…”

“It was..” he quickly agreed, “so what’s bugging you?”

“I’m leaving in 5 days,” she groaned. “And that was amazing…”

“We’ve covered that,” he smiled in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” she confessed, “My mom and friends joked about me meeting a man on the island and having fun. I thought the idea was ridiculous, but here we are…” she said in disbelief as tears began to form. “I haven’t been able to feel attracted to anyone for years and in just 3 days, I’m here with you and this happens… and I leave in 5 days” she confesses bitterly.

He finally understood. And he had to admit he felt the same way yet on a completely different level. He’s wanted her for over a year and he’s finally with her. All of his fantasies and dreams over the past year have come true and were even better than he could have imagined. But it wasn’t real. Not only does she leave soon, but she also doesn’t know his true identity. He felt guilty.

“And I thought maybe this could be a fling but…”

“It doesn’t feel like a fling,” he finished with dread. They had to stop this.

“I wish it could be more,” she admitted finally looking into his eyes and taking his hands in hers. “You’re a special man, Salva…”

“You’re amazing, Raquel,” he returned and stood up with her - the two of them still naked. “And you’re so beautiful,” he complimented looking at her body once again.

She blushed and went towards their clothes and put her bikini back on while he put on his swim trunks.

“Let’s go swimming,” he suggested and she followed him into the clear water. And for the next few hours, they went back to talking about life, politics, and the island while laughing together when one of them made a stupid joke. They chose not to be intimate again, but they could feel a new closeness between them grow as they would splash each other or he’d take her hand to lead her into a cool cave within the limestone. It was a day neither of them would ever forget.

Soon they were back in Puerto Princesa, getting off the small plane again. This time, Sergio held her hand for the entire flight while she rested her head on his shoulder in silence. They were simply enjoying each other’s company and this new closeness that they had discovered. Neither wanted to think about this ending soon.

When they were back on Sergio’s motorbike, she wrapped her arms around him and leaned her body into his for the ride back to the hotel never wanting to let go. She knew that once they were back at the hotel, this was over. They would be forced to leave this connection behind before they were even more hurt by their impending separation.

He could feel the desperation in her touch throughout the whole drive, wishing there was something he could do to make this easier. He should regret this. He should feel terrible for leading them both to this place of sadness over the impossibility of a future for them. But feeling her in his arms, touching her, cumming in her… there was nothing in his life that made him feel so alive. Not even the end of the heist. This was a memory he’d hold onto forever.

When he parked the bike at the hotel, it was quiet as most people were already in bed for the night. The two silently got off the bike and walked into the lobby. He took her hand in his, offering to walk her to her room to say goodbye.

“I had so much fun today,” he smiled as they reached her door.

“Me too,” she agreed sadly. “I wish I wasn’t so sad about this. I had the best day with you, and if there was some way we could make this work…”

“I know,” he agreed. “But it’s not possible, is it?”

“No, which is why I think we need to end this here.”

Sergio’s heart broke at this. He knew this was coming, and it was for the best, but how do you let go of the one person who makes you feel alive and free? “I know,” he agreed sadly. “I’ll go home once the deal is signed tomorrow.”

“That’s probably for the best,” she agreed.

“How about one last kiss before I go?” He smiled hopefully.

She leaned up and kissed him slowly, enjoying the feel of his lips on her one last time. They both opened their mouths simultaneously and found each other’s tongues, deepening the kiss. For a few minutes, they stood in front of her door, kissing passionately with their hands in each other’s hair, desperate for this moment to never end.

It was Sergio who finally broke off the kiss, placing his forehead on hers. “I really wish…”

“Me too,” she agreed. “Thank you again for this perfect day. I’ll never forget it.”

“Me too,” he agreed as she opened the door of her room and walked inside. 

“Goodnight, Salva…. And goodbye, I guess.”

“Goodnight,” he responded, feeling completely defeated. Why did he let this happen? Is this what the heartbreak Andres always talked about felt like?

When her door closed, he let out a long sigh. He needed to let this go. He needed to go back to his room, go to bed, wake up early tomorrow and get on a plane back home. Just as he was about to walk away, he heard her bump on her door, realizing she was still there possibly having second thoughts like he was.

Walk away, Sergio, his hind told him over and over again, yet his body didn’t move. His eyes stayed on the door until it suddenly opened and Raquel ran out expecting to have to chase him. 

She was shocked to see him still standing in front of her door, “We don’t have to end this right now, do we?” she finally asked.

“Oh, thank god,” Sergio sighed and lifted her up into his arms, encouraging her to wrap her legs around him and carried her into the room; the door closing behind them. 

***

Sergio walked out of Raquel’s room whistling the next morning. They had shared an amazing night together, exploring each other’s bodies with their hands and mouths throughout the night until they finally fell asleep in exhaustion. 

And, when he left, they both decided to ignore the voices in their heads telling them to end it. They both decided to let themselves enjoy her last few days together. Consequences be damned.

Sergio opened the door to his room, still whistling what sounded like the Van Morrison song she’d played for him. 

“Hello brother,” Andres greeted sitting in the chair next to the bed. “Where have you been all night?” he asked suggestively.

Sergio simply stood completely frozen and stared at his brother. The brother he’d told not to come. The brother who had no idea the former Inspectora Murillo was staying at this hotel. Had no idea Sergio just had the best sex of his life with her last night.

_Oh. Shit._

  
  



	6. Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all of the kind reviews. I'm so appreciative that there are people actually taking the time to read this story. It means so much to me.

_**Two hours before in Raquel’s hotel room** _

Sergio slowly started to wake up as sunlight peeked through the curtains of the large window facing the sea. He looked at Raquel next to him who was on her side facing the door. They’d only been sleeping for a couple of hours, but we felt completely energized. They had shared what he’d call “the best night of his life”. It wasn’t just the sex ( _which was fantastic_ ) but the conversation in between. How open they were with each other. Somehow in only a few short days, there was a layer of trust between them that they both felt - sharing not just the details of their lives but their belief systems and future hopes. And it didn’t feel awkward to do so and neither was offended if they had an opposing view on an issue. In fact, they enjoyed debating. He had to admit his initial attraction to her was her outward beauty, but he found her intelligence extremely stimulating. He wasn’t expecting for them to be so well matched on that level, and it excited and terrified him even more.

And of course, she had let him get to know her body during the night, and he took the time to memorize every curve, freckle, scar. The way she felt and how she tasted on his tongue. He’d never felt so physically connected to another person in his 41 years. He’d always assumed that it wasn’t something he was capable of feeling, yet the first time he saw her a year ago walking into Hanoi, he knew she was special. He knew his reaction to merely her presence was unusual for him. He wondered what would have happened if he’d approached her then like the planned. Would they have fallen into this same trap of feelings? Would she have ruined his perfect plan? Would he have convinced her to work with him in the end? Would they have had a happy ending? Could they have one now?

Sergio looked at her sleeping next to him and allowed his thoughts to be soothed by her steady breaths. His heart beat even faster at the look of contentment on her face while she slept. He’d help her achieve that feeling of peace and it filled him with so much love.

He didn’t anticipate getting in this deep with her. He’d convinced himself it was simply an attraction to the inspector that he wanted to explore. A crush he’d felt for her over the past year as he followed her story and admired her ability to rebuild her life so quickly and successfully. Even meeting her on this trip, he thought it would be a couple of conversations he could take home with him and cherish as a sweet memory. 

But this? Spending a day with her in paradise, waking up next to her after a night of passion? This he didn’t think would ever happen. 

He sat up resigned that he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep and grabbed his glasses from the nightstand. Rather than putting them on, he held them as he continued to get more and more lost in his thoughts.

Raquel soon began to wake up and turned her body to his with a smile on her face, “Good morning,” she whispered.

“Good morning,” he responded never taking his eyes off of the glasses in his hand.

“Is something bothering you?” She asked noting his conflicted expression. She moved her body closer to his.

“No.”

“Salva…” 

“I’m worried that this has been the best night of my life…”

Raquel grinned unable to hold back how moved she felt by this, “Salva” she laughed softly, “you already got me into bed; you don’t have to say these things anymore..”

“It’s true,” he simply responded still unable to look her in the eye while he started flipping his glasses in his hands. “I didn’t anticipate this…”

“You didn’t anticipate this,” she repeated with a smile on her face while she snuggled closer to him. “Do you always plan everything?”

“Let’s just say that my clothes for today are currently placed on my bed.”

Raquel was so charmed by him that she grinned and briefly touched his arm in response and put her head on his shoulder. As she was finding the words to respond to his, he said something that surprised both of them.

“I want a future with you.”

“What?” she was shocked by this.

“I don’t know how. Maybe you can move here or I can move back to Spain….but I can’t stand the idea of you leaving in a few days and this being it.”

“Salva…” she whispered.

“You make me so happy….I’ve never felt like this before. So alive. And I don’t want this feeling to end. Do you?”

“No, of course not,” she admitted. “I feel it too. But I have a mother and a daughter…. And a job that’s waiting for me. And you have the school…”

“You could bring your mother and daughter. You said earlier that she would love it here. How amazing would it be to raise her on an island away from it all? And I am not too deep into the school, I could find a way to work on it from Spain...”

Raquel took a deep breath unsure of what to say. They had only known each other for about five days. This was crazy…

“I spent years obsessed with a project for my father. I dedicated all of my energy to achieving his dreams…”

“That you forgot to focus on your own,” she finished for him realizing why he was jumping on this so quickly.

“Exactly,” he agreed, “And I don’t regret it… He deserved everything and more…”

“Salva,” she interrupted, “it’s very admirable how much you love your father and want to live out his legacy, but you are your own person with your own dreams and goals.”

“Let’s do this… we can find a way to make it work.”

“You’d move in with a mother, a daughter and a grandmother? You’d be willing to give all of this up if I said to come back to Spain?”

“Right now, I would,” he admitted. “I can’t imagine a life without you...:”

Raquel could barely hold back the tears over how much his words were affecting her, and she didn’t think he realized just how powerful they were. No one had ever been willing to give up so much for her before. And these feelings she was experiencing, she now knew she wasn’t going through alone. He felt this too… but she couldn’t ask him to give up a project he was so passionate about for her, and to go back to a country he said no longer felt right for him. So the question was, could she give up her life to move here with him? Could she ask that of her mom and Paula?

“This is crazy,” she chucked, “so crazy… that I can’t imagine not trying to find a way too,” she finally admitted.

He finally looked at her for the first time throughout this conversation and saw the tears in her eyes and the genuine affection she felt for him. “Ok,” he finally said, “before you leave, we’ll talk about what the future looks like for us. We don’t have to decide right now.”

“Ok,” she smiled while he placed her hand in his and squeezed it softly.

“Ok,” he repeated again and kissed her, feeling like he was, for the first time in his life, about to do something for him. To live selfishly for his own happiness, and it felt better than anything he’d ever experience - even the feeling of pulling off the perfect heist didn’t compare to this. 

Their moment was interrupted by the phone ringing. Raquel moved away from him to answer. From the one-sided conversation, Sergio gathered that Raquel forgot about their plans for the day which was confirmed when she muttered “shit” after hanging up while getting out of bed. He soon followed and began putting his clothes back on.

“I forgot we have an overnight trip planned for a small town north of the city,” she muttered. “And I have an hour to pack and get ready for it…. I’m so sorry, Salva. This means less time together because we won’t be back until tomorrow evening…”

Sergio’s heart sank. He thought they would have her last four days together, but he would allow the future they were committing to comfort him for now. “It’s okay,” he comforted. “We still have time.”

“I’ve gotten so used to seeing you around now that the thought of spending a day apart really sucks…”

Sergio quickly grabbed her phone and put his own number in it, sending himself a WhatsApp message from her phone. “Here’s my number in case you want to chat or need any recommendations.”

“I’m really glad we spent the night together,” she responded while taking her phone. “It was also one of the best nights of my life,” she admitted with a hint of a blush on her cheeks.

He simply responded by pulling her towards him by the elbows and giving her a sweet kiss, “I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked hopefully.

“Yes,” she promised. “Tomorrow’s my birthday, and we’re going out for dinner and drinks. Can you join?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” he kissed her one last time and looked at the clock. “I’ll go now and let you get ready for your trip.” 

“Oh shit,” she muttered looking at the time. “Thank you again for yesterday. We’ll talk when I get back.”

“I can’t wait,” he smiled and left the room.

*******

Sergio opened the door to his room, whistling what sounded like the Van Morrison song Raquel played for him with a huge grin on his face.  
  
“Hello brother,” Andres greeted sitting in the chair next to the bed. “Where have you been all night?” he asked suggestively.

Sergio stood completely frozen and stared at his brother. The brother he’d told not to come. The brother who had no idea the former Inspector Murillo was staying at this hotel. Had no idea Sergio just had the best sex of his life with her last night. And what he had just promised her this morning.

He had completely forgotten about Andres in these plans, and his heart sank. Raquel knew him as he was the one she sat with to identify all of the hostages for proof of life. He would never let Sergio leave, and he couldn’t invite her here without cutting ties with his only family. This was a disaster.

“Don’t be coy with me,” Andres continued. “I got here last night and when I asked what room you were in, the woman told me you left the hotel with a woman. 

Sergio went over all possible scenarios in his head. He could lie and say he didn’t meet someone, but he knew his brother would see through that. He could admit to it but downplay the connection and say it was a fun night with a tourist who had already left, but then his brother would wonder why he didn’t want to return to their home right away (and wouldn’t leave without him). The final option was to tell him the truth. But the unpredictability of that outcome made it the least appealing of the three. He needed time to think about how he was going to balance all of this. Could he even achieve that?

“I…” Sergio struggled with how to phrase this but decided with the truth but leaving out her identity for now. “I did meet someone…”

“Sergio!” Andres stood. “Did I hear this right? Has my brother achieved the impossible? Attracted to a woman?? I need a bell to ring! Today should be a national holiday,” he celebrated.

“It’s not serious,” he lied, “she’s here from Spain as a tourist, and we went on a date yesterday.”

“I must meet her. I need to congratulate the first woman in the history of our time to put that smile on your face. To get you to go on a date and WANT to be there. I will have a trophy made for her ‘the only woman on Earth to attract the infamous Professor’ Where is she?” 

Sergio panicked. Of course, he would want to meet her. This was a complete disaster. “She’s gone to San Vicente for a couple of days...” he admitted.

“We should go and surprise her!” Andres suggested while putting his hands on Sergio’s arms and shaking him. “I’m so happy for you, brother! I’ll call the airline now…”

“No,” Sergio stopped him. “We are not going….” 

“Why” his brother pouted. “Why do you hate your dying brother so much?” he exaggerated playing the card he knew would work.

It was at this moment he knew the truth was the only option. He could feel his heart beginning to shatter, but it wasn’t safe for Andres to be here nor was it for Raquel, and there was no way he’d be able convince his brother to leave now since he was ready to plan a celebratory parade for Raquel’s return.

“There’s something you need to know…”

*******

Raquel sat on the small charter bus with her two friends and couple of tourists from Canada on their way to a resort in San Vicente staring at WhatsApp on her phone, hoping he’d send her a message. It has only been a few hours, but she missed being with him. For the first time in years, she felt completely comfortable in someone’s presence. He made her feel cherished, important, sexy, and most importantly, he respected her. He didn’t question her boundaries. He listened to her words and offered her support. She’d never met a man like him before. Too often she was attracted to the men who treated women like shit and got away with it, but he was different. He was smart and somewhat arrogant about it at times, but she liked that. It meant that he wasn’t threatened by her own intelligence; in fact, it felt like he was genuinely attracted to it. 

And last night… well, she could still feel the power of her orgasms in the back of her throat. She’d never been with someone who prioritized her pleasure like that. _Fuck, she was falling hard and fast for this man._

Why did he have to be so easy to talk to and so amazing in bed? The universe really fucked up the timing on this one because she knew even as they were promising each other to work on a future together, it would be nearly impossible. His life was here and hers was back in Spain. Could she really give it all up and move here? Is that what she wanted?

“You’re being quiet,” Sofia observed from the seat next to hers.

“Sorry, I’ve been lost in thought…”

“What’s going on?” Maria asked turning her body around to face Raquel in the seat ahead of her. “We didn’t want to pressure you to talk…”

“I had the best date of my life,” Raquel frowned while continuing to stare at her phone.

“That’s not usually the face of a woman who’s been on the best date of her life…”

Raquel looked up at her two friends who were looking at her with concerned expressions. “This wasn’t supposed to happen..”

“What wasn’t, sweetie?” Marie asked while moving to sit in the seat next to her.

“You both encouraged me to let loose. My mom wanted me to have some fun. And I let it happen… I had fun…”

“Yesss??” Sofia asked, gesturing to her to continue.

“And now I’m falling for this guy… and I don’t know how to stop it,” she finally admitted. Saying those words out loud almost felt freeing.

“Oh Raquel,” Maria replied and grabbed her hand in hers. 

“And we’re leaving in a few days, and he and I were talking about the future this morning but I don’t see it working..”

“Future?” Sofia questioned.

“Him coming back to Spain or me moving here…”

“Raquel, honey, I love you. And I love that you took our advice and had some fun, but you can’t be serious right now…”

“I know it sounds crazy, Sof… I’ve been running it all through my head for the last two hours, but we connect. I’ve never felt this way about anyone, and I can’t help but think that if we end it, I’ll always wonder ‘what if’”

“You can’t throw your life away for a man you met 5 days ago, hon. And he can’t do that for you. You’ll resent each other - believe me. I asked my husband to move two hours to Valencia away from his family and we still fight about it.” Maria revealed.

“Think about all you have built in the last year in Valencia. Do you really want to throw that away?”

“And could you ask the same of him?” Maria finished.

Raquel felt defeated. She knew, logically, that they were right but she didn’t want to hear this perspective. “All week you have both been encouraging me to meet a man, have fun, enjoy life again…

“Yes, to have FUN. Not to fall in love and change your whole life. We wanted you to let loose, have a few good orgasms and come back home well rested and ready to meet someone new.” Sofia argued.

“And what if this is my last chance? What if Salva is THAT guy for me? I should just ignore it?”

“He’s not, Raquel.” Maria argued. “If he was, the timing and location would have been different. He’s just a nice good looking.. VERY good looking… man you met while on vacation.”

“Now you’re telling me how I feel?!” Raquel was growing angrier and angrier and could see the Canadian family watching them closely even if they didn’t understand Spanish.

“No, of course not,” Sofia chimed in. “But we both know you. And we know your history and the last thing either of us wants is to see you hurt again. To lose yourself in another man…”

“Alberto was charming at first too…”

“Stop right there. Salva is not Alberto. What I’m feeling isn’t me losing my identity or wanting to change for a man. And maybe if you’d asked me how I felt before making those assumptions you’d know that.”

Maria and Sofia looked at each other guiltily. They knew they were being harsh, and as much as they had encouraged this, the last thing they wanted was to see Raquel hurt by love again.

“We’re sorry,” Maria finally said. “How do you feel?”

“Like, for the first time in my life, I am attracted to someone who brings out the best in me. Who makes me smile. Who is interested in my success and intelligence. And I know it’s fast, and it may seem irrational, but that feeling of knowing that person is special doesn’t take months to feel. It’s there or it isn’t… and I’ve never felt this way about ANY man in my life before.”

“But…” Sofia started.

“No buts. I’m not listening to this anymore. We’re done here,” she announced while taking her headphones, putting music on and staring out the window. How could they have been so quick to judge this when they were the ones encouraging it? Raquel was fuming and wished she could talk to Salva right now and go back to that feeling of bliss with him. 

She knew she was acting like a selfish 15 year old whose parents said she can’t date the boy she likes, but she couldn’t help but feel defensive. He inspired feelings in her she hadn’t felt for anyone in years. Maybe ever.

*******

“You didn’t think it was important to tell me Raquel Murillo is here?!” Andres yelled at Sergio as he was attempting to digest what Sergio had just revealed to him.

“It’s why I told you not to come. I was monitoring the situation…”

“Monitoring the situation… by what? Fucking her?!”

“I-” 

“How could you?! You always tell me to stop being so selfish. ‘Andres - don’t fall for that woman during this heist, you’ll ruin the whole thing’”

“I never understood it before..”

“Are you telling me you love this woman?”

Sergio froze at that. He knew he did, but he couldn’t tell his brother that. He simply sat on the bed and ran his hands through his hair.

“No,” Andres denied, “NO.. Sergio, for a smart man you can be really stupid sometimes…”

“You’re the one always telling me to meet someone and find happiness…” Sergio attempted to argue back but knew it was futile.

“Yes, I am, but not with the woman who can destroy everything we’ve built!”

“She doesn’t know who I am…”

“And how long will that last for? She’s not an idiot, Sergio!”

Sergio was at a loss for words again. It has been eating away at him over the last day. Keeping this secret from her and he knew that he couldn’t last a lifetime with this guilt on his shoulders.

“You want to tell her,” Andres summarized by the conflict he saw in his brother’s eyes.

“Of course not. That’s not an option…”

“And what’s going to happen here? She’s just going to leave in a couple of days and that’s it?”

Sergio froze again replaying the promise they made to each other this morning.

“For fuck sake, Sergio….” Andres paced trying to wrap his head around it all. “It makes sense now, your obsession for this woman. It wasn’t just guilt..”

“You’re right, it wasn’t,” he finally admitted. It had taken him meeting her the past few days to understand that he’d fallen in love with her a year ago. And now, the idea of letting that slip through his fingers again, especially knowing how it felt to be with her, was destroying him.

“So what now, professor? What’s the master plan?” Andres mocked angrily while taking a seat on the bed next to Sergio.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I want to be with her. I could go back to Spain…”

“And risk all of this? Risk the lives of the team who are in South America enjoying their riches…”

“The Spanish authorities don’t know who I am,” he reminded his brother.

“No, but one day Raquel may figure it out. And then what?”

“I don’t know…”

“Sergio, you’re the goddamn chess player here. You worked for years to plan this and it was perfect. Inspiring even…. And you’re about to throw that away for a woman with no plan?”

“I’ll come up with something..”

“And what’s going to happen? You go back to Spain, get married and you lie to her for the rest of your lives? Is that fair to her?”

Sergio knew his brother was right. It wasn’t fair to lie to her for the rest of their lives. If he made the decision to follow her or to bring her here, he would have to tell her everything. He would have to risk it all. “No, it’s not. You’re right...I would have to tell her.”

“Look, I get it. She’s an attractive woman. I was enamoured by her too when I met her. But she’s not worth all of this…”

“And what if she is?” Sergio countered. “I’ve never felt this alive with someone before. She’s special…”

“She may be, but what’s next? You move to Spain and never see me again? You let me die alone because you fell in love?”

“Of course not,” Sergio countered. “I’d find a way…”

“You can’t,” Andres replied. “You can’t do this, and you know it. It’s not just our lives on the line here but the people you recruited to risk their lives. Do you really think they’ll stop at you if she turns you in?”

“You’re right,” Sergio admitted. Defeated. 

“I know this hurts,” Andres sympathized. “I’ve always wanted this for you, brother… but not like this.”

“You still need to leave before tomorrow.”

“No, I will be here to make sure you end it. I’ll hide so she doesn’t see me, but you will end it when she comes back and tell her that there’s no future, and then we’ll leave.”

“Andres…”

“Sergio…” he repeated. “You will do as I say.”

“Ok,” he sighed. “I’ll end it tomorrow and we’ll go home like this never happened.”

“It’ll hurt like a son of a bitch, but I’ll be here for you, okay? When we get home, you can get really drunk on the beach and I’ll introduce you to Liz. She will be the perfect distraction…”

“We’ll go home,” Sergio agreed, “but no more dates.”

“Deal,” he agreed. For now. “I’ll go get my own room and give you a bit of time. See you at dinner?”

“Sure,” Sergio smiled halfheartedly. 

When Andres left the room, Sergio let his body fall back onto the bed. His brother was right. There was no future without telling her the truth. And telling her the truth would risk more than just his life. He had to end this. And the thought of it alone felt like he was being stabbed in the heart repeatedly.

*******

After dinner with Andres, Sergio walked back into his room and started to pack his clothes. He was completely heartbroken. He knew he was being selfish wanting to be with her. She would never be okay being with him knowing the truth. She wouldn’t risk her secure life for a future with a criminal. She had her daughter to think about. He’d been a complete idiot. He lost control of himself in her presence and now he was about to break her heart. He felt sick.

While organizing and folding his socks, his mobile phone rang. He knew it was her as she was the only one who had the number for this phone. He contemplated letting it go to voicemail, but the second he saw her name on his screen, he couldn’t stop his thumb. “Hello.”

“Salva,” she greeted warmly, “how are you?”

Devastated, heartbroken, a complete mess. “I’m doing okay, how is San Vincente?”

“It’s beautiful, but the day didn’t start too great,”

Sergio grew concerned over her tone, “What happened?”

“I got into a fight with Maria and Sofia…”

“About what?”

“You…:” she admitted.

“Oh.”

“They don’t understand how we can be talking about our future after a few days…”

“It’s crazy isn’t it,” Sergio laughed.

“Very,” she also laughed. “It’s so nice to hear your voice.”

“Yours too,” he smiled. He knew his brother was right. This had to end, but the way simply hearing her voice could comfort him….

“What did you do today?”

“Not a lot” he lied. He couldn’t tell her Andres is in town. “But I did get a lecture from my brother over the phone when I told him about you.”

“And here I thought your brother who has been married five times would be the only one to understand,” she chuckled.

“It’s good that we have people in our lives who look out for us,” he admitted, “but sometimes I wish they would back off.”

“Same,” she smiled.

Sergio knew he should hang up the phone, but hearing her voice took away any self control he had attempted to muster to end this. He listened while she continued to tell him about her day, the sites they saw, how she finally made up with her friends and how she’s currently a little tipsy after spending the night at the town’s only bar.

“And then Maria got into a fight with an American tourist about Donald Trump and threw her flip flop at the man..” they both laughed at the story. “Anyway, we have an early day tomorrow, I should get some sleep,” Raquel yawned.

“Of course,” Sergio smiled. They had been talking for over an hour and it was the first time since he was with her in the morning that he felt completely at ease. “Just one more question..”

"Okay,” she smiled.

“What are you wearing?” he asked suggestively,

“Salva!” She laughed while she felt a familiar ping of deja vu. She shook it off and teased, “You will have to wait until tomorrow night to find out.”

“I can’t wait. See you tomorrow,” he said, dreading what he’d have to do tomorrow night. He wished they still had more time to live in this bliss bubble.

“Goodnight Salva,” she yawned and ended the call. She felt comforted by his voice and was relieved to talk to him. She knew her friends were right. They would have to end this, but for one more night, she could pretend there was a future, _right?_

There was one thing that left her unsettled during their conversation. Something he said felt familiar but she couldn’t place it. She was going crazy, she decided before turning off the lamp and snuggling into her blankets.

After a few hours of tossing and turning in a dream-filled sleep, a voice reappeared in her mind - that of the professor during the heist asking her the same question Salva asked on the phone “what are you wearing” with the same intonation. If you removed the voice disguise, he’d sound a lot like…

Raquel’s eyes opened and she quickly sat up with a very crushing realization. All of the red flags she felt over the coincidence of meeting a Spanish man in his 40s in paradise who she now remembered fit the description of the professor from the one man who claimed to see him but ran off before they could sketch it. Salva felt too good to be true… because he was. She quickly ran out of her bed to the toilet just in time to throw up, the feeling of betrayal completely overwhelming her.

_Salva was the professor._


	7. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! I'm so sorry for the delay on this chapter. With all that's been happening in the world, it was challenging to sit down and write such an intense chapter. Warning: this chapter is filled with angst and if that's not something you want to read right now, I completely understand.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read, commented and left kudos. I'm almost near the finish line of one of my first multi chapter fics, and it has meant to much to me that there are a few people who have really enjoyed this story. The next part will be up in a few days since all I have now is time to write it. :)

The next morning, Raquel was back on the bus to Puerto Princesa after a restless night filled with anguish, nausea, tears and anxiety. How had she missed this? How had she, yet again, allowed herself to fall for someone who had no problem taking advantage of her? Who completely disregarded her own feelings and wellbeing.

This was her pattern. It was why she stopped dating after her divorce. She knew how she let herself become blind to someone’s true nature when she fell in love. And here she was, again, blinded by her heart. 

She knew she was a good inspector, that she could negotiate with anyone and de-escalate almost any situation with how quickly she could understand the psychology behind a criminal. So why couldn’t she apply those same principles to her own life?

As the bus drove on, hitting the bumps in the road without care, the majestic scenery of 

Palawan passing by quickly, Raquel replayed every moment with Salva (or Sergio as Silene had revealed during her only interrogation with one of the members of the heist).

_The coincidence of a single Spanish man at the same hotel as she._

_How he was the one to make contact first._

_The way he believed her experience as a survivor without hesitation._

_How he held her hand on the plane when he sensed her nerves._

_His intelligence and how detail oriented he was in planning their date._

_The first time he kissed her; the shock in his eyes over how he felt after his lips pressed on hers._

_Making love to him, how attentive he was. How their bodies connected so seamlessly._

_And finally, to his declaration of wanting to be together beyond her trip._

What was he trying to achieve? Was she part of some new plan of his? Did he show up to watch her and felt the need to play with her feelings one last time? One thing she remembered from her many conversations with the professor was how compassionate he was, yet when his back was against the wall, how ruthless he could be. He wasn’t cold, psychotic or even narcissistic. He was a chess player. He was a strategist. His intelligence was his greatest strength and, in the end, he was able to outwit her, her coworkers, the CNI and the government. He was able to use their own rules and protocols to his advantage, making it look easy to someone watching from the outside. But she knew there were a few times she had unsettled him. He lost friends during his heist. Was this his final revenge?

She took a deep breath and tried to put thoughts of him to rest as she watched Maria and Sofia talking about their kids animatedly, sharing stories over the new hobbies they were interested in. She opened her phone to see multiple messages on Facebook wishing her a happy birthday.

 _Shit._ She almost forgot today was her 41st birthday. The reason they were here in the first place.

Sadly, all she wanted to do was get in her hotel bed and cry. The betrayal she felt was immense. She was drowning in it. The anger, sadness, regret, and most of all, heartbreak over what she thought was going to be her final love story. The one that made all of her terrible history worth it. Boy, was she a fucking idiot.

She opened Facebook to see a message from Angel. She hasn’t spoken to him since she left Madrid last year. He spent months in recovery of his car crash, and her guilt paralyzed her. Those 16 calls she ignored because she was so consumed with the case and her anger over thinking he was a mole for the professor. They had discovered once he woke up that there was a microphone in his glasses. He was played just like she was.

_Happy Birthday, Raquel. I hope you’re happier now since leaving Madrid. I’m happy to see you on vacation right now with friends. I know this is unfair of me to ask, but I’m being transferred to Valencia. And I wanted to know if you’d be open to getting coffee or lunch when you’re back. I miss you, partner._

Raquel could feel the tears threatening to fall after reading her message from her former partner of 15 years. She had a feeling that transfer was his choice and had been wondering how long it would take him to follow her. She didn’t want to continue leading him on. As much as she missed her friend, she was tempted to tell him to stay in Madrid.

She also found it interesting that he messaged her for the first time when she found the professor. The man who unknowingly tore them apart. Should she tell him? This could be their chance to redeem their reputations. In one message, she could have all of the authorities at the hotel before her bus arrived.

That’s what she should do. She should catch him by surprise. He didn’t suspect that she was on to him. As an inspector, that was the right move, but as a woman who felt betrayed by a man she was falling for, she wanted answers. Why was he here? Why was he trying to win her heart? What was his goal? She couldn’t get those if the infamous professor was arrested and transported back to Madrid.

She looked back at the message conflicted over her next step. Her fingers, shaking, as they started to write a response. Tears in her eyes as she considered all of the possibilities. 

_Angel, thank you for your message. I’ve missed you too, friend. And that’s good news about Valencia. Let’s get coffee when you’re settled._ [send]

This was probably going to be her biggest mistake, yet she couldn’t stop the overwhelming need for answers. She had to confront him first.

“Raquel, you’ve been so quiet, are you okay?” Sofia asked while turning her body to look back at her friend.

“Yes,” she confirmed with a strained smile, “I’ve been reading the birthday messages from friends and family.” 

Sofia simply smiled in return. “Have you heard from anyone interesting?”

“Angel sent me a message,” she revealed while putting her phone back in her bag.

“What did he have to say?” Sofia asked, the curiosity evident on her face.

“He’s being transferred to Valencia. He wants to meet up when I’m back…”

Maria perked up at this. “Just happened to be transferred,” she laughed. “It was only a matter of time before Mr. Potato followed you.”

“Maybe this is a good thing…. You can finally put this Salva guy behind you and maybe finally give that poor man a chance.”

Raquel looked away from her friends. She never felt a connection with Angel that went beyond friendship. Their night together didn’t have the same impact on her as it did for him. She couldn’t keep leading him on. It would hurt him more if she faked feelings for him out of convenience.

“Or maybe not,” Maria laughed 

“I see what you’re both doing,” Raquel sighed. “But you have nothing to worry about. Salva and I don’t have a future.”

“What changed?” Sofia questioned the change of heart.

“You were both right. I can’t give up my life and who I am for another guy, especially one I just met.”

“Well, duh… but yesterday you were so defensive. Did you talk to him? Did something change?”

Raquel looked away from her friends and pursed her lips to hold in the rush of emotion that she felt from within. “I had some time to think. I’m going to go back to the hotel and ending it with him.”

“I’m so sorry, hun,” Maria sympathized.

“I’ll be okay. Once that’s done, we’ll have to go get REALLY drunk. Deal?” Raquel attempted to smile.

“Deal,” both women smiled and turned back, leaving Raquel alone to her thoughts again. She looked at her phone and saw a message from Salva.

_I can’t wait to see you._

She looked at the time and saw they were only an hour away.

_Same. Meet me in my room in an hour?_

_I’ll be there. See you soon._

She threw her phone down on the seat and took a deep breath. She was terrified for what would come next.

******

Sergio was, once again, caught between his heart and head. He knew that this would have to be the final time he saw her, that he’d have to say goodbye. The challenge was that he has known that since the first time he looked at her from across the restaurant.

And yet here he was. Completely in love with her. An emotion so foreign to him, yet it overpowered his rational thought. The butterflies he felt in her presence. The joy he felt when she smiled. The way he lost his breath when she was in pain. How their conversations energized him. 

From the very first moment he spoke to her on the phone as the professor, he felt it. That feeling in the back of his throat that felt like anxiety, excitement. He had brushed it off as the rush of the heist and the game. Now, he knew it was so much more than the game. She was special. She meant something to him...

Sergio looked in the mirror to fix his hair and straighten his shirt. He saw her text that she was back in her room, filling him with both excitement and dread. At least if they ended it here, he could be comforted by the memory of being with her. It would be an acceptable ending to their story. One that he could cherish.

He picked up the flowers he had delivered - a combination and white and pink roses, orchids and lilies - that he was informed was their most romantic bouquet. Breakups from a three day relationship should include flowers, right? He didn’t know the rules, but it sounded like a good idea. 

As he made his way to her room, he went over the words he rehearsed in his head for the past two hours - “ _I could never ask you to move your life here. I can’t leave because it’s important that I stay with my brother right now. We should end this now before it gets too complicated.”_

Was that too cold? He was about to find out.

After a couple of knocks, the doors quickly opened and he was met with the sad eyes of the woman he’d fallen in love with.

“Happy Birthday,” he smiled and handed her the flowers.

“Thanks,” she smiled yet it didn’t meet her eyes. She took the bouquet from him and took comfort in the floral scent in front of her. Why was he being so romantic? She was supposed to hate him, yet the butterflies were still in her stomach.

“Are you okay?” 

Raquel took a deep breath to hold in the plethora of emotions coursing through her body. “Never better,” she sighed and gestured for him to enter her room and take a seat on her bed while she placed the flowers on the table.

“Raquel…” he started.

“Do you think I’m an idiot?” she interrupted looking straight into his eyes from across the room. 

“Excuse me?” Sergio asked, completely taken again by the coldness of her stare. 

“Do you think I’m an idiot,” she repeated, anger evident in her voice as she moved closer to him and took a seat on the desk across from the bed. 

“Of course not… why would I?” He replied completely at a loss over the question until…

“Sergio… or should I call you the professor?” 

His eyes widened at the revelation. _She knew._

She was right. She wanted to be wrong. To be corrected by him; instead, he confirmed her greatest fear with one look. She was in the same room as the man who had nearly destroyed her life. A man who only 24 hours ago she was ready to leave her life behind for.

“Do you have anything to say?” She questioned him, the anger she’d been holding in for the past 12 hours beginning to come out.

Sergio looked away from her while going over every potential response and their potential outcomes. They all ended with her calling the local authorities on him and destroying the perfectly arranged house of cards he’d built over the last year. So, he chose to say nothing and simply stare at his hands while he processed what he’d have to do to stop her from ruining his life.

“Usually, when I was confronting someone guilty, they would be talking right now. About anything - the weather, denying their guilt… but you.. you just sit there. Completely silent.”

“What do you want me to say, Raquel?”

“Honestly? I was hoping you’d deny it,” She revealed with a bitter laugh and stood up from the desk.

More silence. Raquel rolled her eyes and walked up to him. “You never answered my question. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“No,” he whispered, unable to meet her eyes. “Of course not.”

“I’m not sure what to do here,” she revealed as she sat next to him on the bed. “I could tell my former colleagues I have the professor…”

He looked at her and could feel himself vibrating from within. He didn’t know how to gain control from this situation. 

“I could let it go and let you live your life. Go home tomorrow and pretend this never happened…”

Sergio perked up at this. Was she actually considering…

“Or… I could use the knife in my bag I always keep for self defense and put it right through your heart…” she offered in such a matter of fact tone that it scared him.

“Is that what you want? To kill me?” he questioned, desperate to find a way to convince her that he wasn’t using her and that his feelings were genuine, but the words escaped him.

“Yes,” she responded breathlessly and stood up again. She paced in front of him in an attempt to gather the courage she needed to confront all of the emotions she’d been keeping suppressed. 

Guilt. It was all he felt by witnessing the pain he saw radiating from her body. Every movement was quick, rough… uncontrolled.

“It may not be the most politically correct thing to tell the man who successfully pulled off the biggest heist in Spain’s history as the lead inspector….but as a woman…” she stopped for a moment to look directly in his eyes, showing him the tears that were now threatening to fall.

“As a woman who has spent the last 8 years living in fear every day. Terrified of everyone and for the first time thought she met someone who cared about her…” she stopped herself from continuing. She couldn’t give him the upper hand by getting too emotional. She took a deep breath to calm down and continued… “Was this some kind of sick joke to you? I would have never known you were here. You could have stayed away or ignored me. You could have put a fucking microphone on me if you were paranoid I was looking for you…Was this your way of destroying the life I rebuilt over the last year?! Did you get joy out of knowing I would leave devastated?!”

Sergio remained silent. Unsure of how to answer in a way that didn’t incriminate himself. She could be recording this. And the only thing saving him right now was that she had no proof. He simply needed to stay silent, let her be angry and find a way to leave and never turn back. She would never find him. This was the best case scenario for both of them.

“You’re really not going to say anything?!” she yelled while running a hand through her hair. “What kind of sick fuck are you?! I can’t believe I thought…”

And that did it. The anger shifted on her face to devastation. He could feel how deeply she was hurting and it snapped him out of silence.

“I’m sorry, Raquel. I’m so sorry…” he began while looking down at his hands. “I had it all planned out. Every detail. I achieved my life’s work but somehow it wasn’t enough. It didn’t bring the happiness I had expected…”

“What are you talking about?” she questioned while watching him begin to break down.

“I didn’t expect this. I didn’t anticipate any of this.”

“Expect what?”

“Falling in love with you…”

 _Slap._ Her hand had never reached its target faster than in this moment. He was STILL playing her?! Mother fucker!

“You expect me to believe this bullshit like some 15 year old girl?!”

“It’s true,” he admitted, staring her in the eye for the first time since she confronted him. "I fell in love with you."

 _Slap._ Her hand met his cheek again at full force.

“You son of a bitch…I dare you to say it again,”

“Raquel,” he looked straight into her eyes, “I'm in love with you…”

 _Slap._ His cheek was now red, the heat from her slaps vibrating from his cheek, but he could barely acknowledge the pain. It was nothing compared to the agony he felt from within. 

“You’re lying…” she responded through gritted teeth while the tears fell down her cheeks. She walked away from him in anger, steadying herself on the wall in an attempt to pull herself back together.

Sergio observed as she used every bit of strength she had from within to keep standing. He could see how hard it was for her to keep it together. He had to convince her that he was only genuine with her…. And thought back to the moment he fell in love with her.

“During the heist,” he began, “When we talked for the first time, I told you that I wanted to only talk to someone who could make decisions without running to their boss or their mom… and I still remember what you said to me,” he smiled briefly at the memory. “You said that you would have to get me the president but since he was busy running the country, you would have to do… And I fell in love with you in that moment. Every time I flirted with you, the chess game we played together… it all energized me in a way nothing ever had before. I began to look forward to our conversations. And when I saw you in Hanoi from across the room with every intention of meeting you, I couldn’t do it.”

“Stop,” she told him, “I don’t want to hear this...”

“Don’t want to hear what? How I fell in love with you? Because I’m the bad guy? We’ve been talking for days about the criminal justice system and I know you don’t have the same belief in the good vs. bad guys as you used to...”

“Don’t,” she warned him. “Don’t use my own words against me in this context. Don’t use them to justify the harm you caused so many people with your heist. 64% of the hostages are in therapy for being traumatized, 25% of the staff I worked with are having health problems related to the stress from that week. There are marriages that ended because some people lost their way. Not to mention how you ruined the reputation I spent 20 years building….”

“Raquel..”

“Don’t sit here and lecture me about good and bad. Is the system perfect? Of course not. But there were so many good people whose lives were ruined that week. Fuck Sergio, you’re here living on this amazing island with all of your colleagues enjoying your millions while these people still struggle to get out of bed every day. Who face the ridicule from society for letting the biggest criminals in Spain’s history slip through their fingers. You aren’t the good guy here…”

“You’re right,” he conceded. “I’m sorry for the harm I caused. It was never my intention to hurt anyone…”

She scoffed at that. 

“It wasn’t,” he repeated. “If you had a lie detector I could prove to you that I’m not lying…”

Raquel simply shook her head and moved back to the desk, leaning her body on it. She had so many questions for him. She wanted to strangle him, kick him out of this room, destroy him in the way he had ruined her, but there was something stopping her from doing that. Something in her heart that felt connected to him. She couldn’t completely turn off the feelings he’d awoken in her, and it frustrated her even more. “I shouldn’t be asking this, but was it worth it?”

Sergio thought about that question for a moment. “Yes,” he whispered. “But not for the reasons you’re thinking…”

“And what am I thinking?”

“That it was about the money…”

She simply rolled her eyes at that and then began to pace in her room as she began to connect the dots from his history that he’d revealed on their first date. “You never moved to Thailand…”

“No,” he admitted. “I was a sick kid in Spain. My dad couldn’t afford the treatments I needed, so he spent his days finding ways to rob banks, stores and the wealthy to pay for my medicine. We spent years talking about the perfect heist to avoid that same struggle for my brother…”

“It was his idea,” she concluded… “So is your dad also on this island laughing at the fact that his son played the lead inspector on the case?”

Sergio looked up at her with tears in her eyes. Of course, she no longer believed the things he’d told her. “He died before he could carry it out…”

Raquel instantly felt remorse for her words after seeing how hurt he was. How he still evidently felt the grief of the loss of his father so deeply. “I’m sorry,” she responded. “I shouldn’t have…”

“You have every right not to believe me, Raquel…”

“So this was the project you did in homage to him. The thing that’s the reason you never got married or really enjoyed life…” she summarized connecting more dots.

“Yes…”

“Fuck… how could I be so blind? All of the warning signs were there and I let you play me…” She laughed bitterly to herself and stood up.

“I may have lied about some details of my history, but I never lied about how I felt about you.”

“Am I supposed to believe this shit?”

“You don’t have to believe anything. It’s what I feel…”

She rolled her eyes in disbelief. Why was he continuing with this bullshit? Did he really think this was how he’d talk out of being arrested? She went to her phone and realized she never hit record. _SHIT!_

There was nothing she could do. She had no proof he was the professor, and she was getting tired of this. The only rational thing to do was to let it go. She didn’t have the upper hand anymore, and if she played it like she did, she may see how ruthless he could be. She couldn’t risk her life with a sick mother and daughter waiting for her back in Valencia.

“I’m leaving,” she announced while putting her phone in her purse and grabbing her hotel key. “Please be out of here before I get back…”

“You’re letting me go?”

“I have no authority to keep you here. I’m not a cop anymore, and I could message my colleagues back in Spain, but I don’t have any proof you’re the infamous professor. So yes, you’re free to go…”

“I wish there was something I could say to make you believe…”

“You got what you want. You ruined the inspector’s vacation. You played with my feelings. You got to play your sick game with me one last time. Congratulations. You win. Go back home and laugh at how pathetic Raquel Murillo is with your brother… again.”

“Raquel…” he whispered when he saw the tears begin to fall, the pain she felt. The defeat he saw written over his face. He’d been so selfish about his feelings. He hurt the one person he wanted to protect. Wanted to love…. How was he supposed to live with himself now?

“I’ll turn myself in,” he announced.

“What?”

“Call your colleagues. Tell them you have the professor. I’ll confess.”

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“Angel, right? Your partner? Call him now.”

“I’m not-” she started. Why was he being such an idiot? All he had to do was walk out that door and never turn back. “What game are you playing now? I’m too tired for this fucking shit…”

“No game,” he revealed. “I want to make it right.”

“If this is supposed to be some fucked up declaration of love, you’re talking to the wrong woman. I will call your bluff.”

“I’m not bluffing…”

Raquel placed her fingers on her temples to relieve the pressure that this conversation was having. She would not fall into this trap with him. 

“I’m leaving. And if I see you again, I will call your bluff…” she warned as she grabbed her purse and ran out the door. The tears worsening with every step she took. Her heart beating a mile a minute as if it were shattering into a million pieces. She could barely breathe as she got into the elevator and then to the hotel exit. Fresh air. When she reached one of the large trees on the side of the hotel, she leaned her back on it and sobbed as her body slid down. She curled into her legs, sitting in front of the large tree letting out all of the emotion she’d held back. Crying for the inspectora who felt destroyed by the professor. Crying for her mother and daughter whose lives had to change because of it. Crying for herself. For the first time in 10 years, she let herself fall in love. And here she was, once again, completely broken and defeated by it.

******

Sergio was still in Raquel’s room lost in thought over the entire confrontation. He felt utterly defeated. He couldn’t convince her that his feelings weren’t part of a game or plan. That he wasn’t doing all of this to ridicule her. That she meant the world to him.

He was shocked she wasn’t planning to go after him. He could be falling into a trap that she was now setting up for him, but he saw her expression when she looked at her phone. She didn’t record their conversation.

Maybe she was going to find a way to get the proof she needed. He told her he’d confess, but that was in the heat of the moment. His desperation for her to believe he truly loved her. He couldn’t actually turn himself in and destroy the lives of everyone who sacrificed so much for the heist.

_He was completely fucked._

He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes in despair. How could he have let this happen? Feeling completely defeated, he rose from her bed and walked back to his room. When he opened the door, he found his brother sitting at the desk waiting for his return.

“So?” he asked. “Did you end it?”

“It’s over,” Sergio confirmed. The exhaustion over fighting with her for the last couple of hours overwhelming him to the point where he couldn’t stand. He allowed his body to drop on the bed.

“Did you ever hear the fable of the lion and the mouse?”

“What?” Sergio asked, confused over the direction of this conversation, “Of course I have….”

“I think it’s bullshit,” Andres revealed. “The lion catches the mouse, the mouse begs to be let go. The lion agrees and then is later in trouble and the mouse helps to return the favour?”

“It’s about kindness…” Sergio responded feeling more and more annoyed by this conversation. He hated when his brother tried to be philosophical. His narcissism always got in the way of rational thought.

“The mouse would want revenge on the lion for the trauma it caused. The mouse would do everything in its power to ruin the lion’s life.”

Sergio sat up in his bed quickly, making the connection his brother was stupidly attempting to make a metaphor about. “You know that Raquel knows…”

Andres smiled, “I may have overheard her call you a son of a bitch a few times. She’s rather loud when she gets angry, isn’t she? I can see why you’re so attracted to her…” he teased.

“Don’t…”

“At first I thought it was because my dear brother was breaking her heart…. until I heard you stupidly confess to ALL of it. How could you be so stupid, Sergio?!”

“I-...”

“I can’t believe you of all people would be this weak. And over that woman…”

Sergio felt anger flare inside him at this comment, “That woman?” he questioned.

“I’ve been introducing you to the most beautiful women this island has to offer for a year. You’ve turned them all down. For a mother in her 40s? I’ll admit she’s attractive, but she’s not worth all of this…”

“Not worth all of this…” he repeated in anger. His brother’s misogyny was something he’d always challenged him on, but it was often intellectually. And now all he could think about was how his brother was insulting the woman he loved. The woman who was smart, compassionate, a caring mother, a devoted daughter… passionate, gorgeous… The most beautiful woman he’d ever met… She was worth all of this and more.

“I see I’ve made you angry,” Andres smirked, unable to bring himself to care about his brother’s inner emotional battle. 

Sergio stood up in an attempt to control the rage he felt bubbling in his stomach. He’d never felt so defensive over someone before, and the feelings it inspired from within terrified him. He was losing rational thought and felt himself instinctually yearning to turn to violence. He wanted to punch his brother as hard as he could for his attitude towards Raquel. 

But he didn’t. Instead, he took a deep breath and walked towards the bathroom, turned on the sink and splashed water on his face in an attempt to regain control.

“Really angry…” he chuckled as he stood up and followed his brother into the bathroom. “So what now, little brother?”

******

Raquel continued to cry against the tree over everything that transpired. In the distance, she could see Sofia looking for her. Before she could hide, her friend spotted her and rushed over.

“Raquel,” she called out while running as quickly as she could. Within seconds, she was on her knees next to Raquel and pulling her into a hug. “What happened?”

“He’s not who I thought he was,” she revealed as she leaned her body on Sofia, taking comfort in her friend’s arms.

“They never are,” she groaned. “What did he do?”

Raquel knew she’d be putting her friend in danger if she told her the truth. “He played me.” 

“He what?”

“Everything he told me was a lie. He wanted to fuck with my emotions,” she admitted angrily while roughly wiping the tears from her face.

Sofia took a closer look at her. Her nose was red, her face was ghost white and her eyes were clearly irritated by the flow of tears. “Honey…” she whispered hugging her closer.

“He’s not worth all of this…”

Raquel felt conflicted because she knew her friend was right. He shouldn’t be worth the pain… but then she remembered the way he smiled at her, held her, made love to her and couldn’t help but wonder if he was telling her the truth. Maybe in some fucked up way, he did fall for her? And maybe there was a chance what they had was bigger than… _shut up, Raquel,_ she stopped herself. She couldn’t fall into this same pattern again.

“Hypothetically, if I knew of something someone did was illegal... Should I turn them in?”

Sofia was taken aback by this. “Raquel, you were a cop for 20 years. You know the answer to this.”

“Even if it could jeopardize my life as I know it now? And maybe even Paula’s and my mom’s?”

“How big of a crime is this person involved in - hypothetically?” 

“Pretty big,” she revealed and then added after a lengthy pause. “Hypothetically.”

“Is Salva a serial killer?” Sofia went in, completely disregarding this “hypothetical” bullshit. “Did he try to kill you?!”

“No, no, of course not. He’s not…” Raquel corrected. “It's just that I learned something about him, and I have the option to do nothing and move on.”

“But can you move on?” Sofia asked. “Because the Raquel Murillo I know has never let anything go in her life.”

Raquel smiled at this, “You’ve got me there.”

Sofia laughed at this, “But please don’t put yourself in any danger. Unless he’s a danger to society like your shit of an ex husband, maybe it’s best to simply let it go.”

Raquel thought about this for a moment. As of right now, he wasn’t a danger. But what if he planned another heist? He could get bored… or perhaps someone else would die unjustly in his life, and he’d be back for revenge. “I’m going to take a walk,” she said. “I need some time to think alone.”

“Of course. Are we still on for birthday drinks tonight?”

“Can we put that on hold until tomorrow? I need some time...:”

“I’ll let Maria know,” she nodded and took Raquel’s hand in hers. “You’re the strongest person I know. You are also the smartest and most resilient. I know you’ll do whatever is right for you. And no matter what, I’ll support you.”

“Thanks, friend.” Raquel smiled and squeezed her hand in return. “I’m so happy to have you in my life.”

“Call me when you’re done taking your walk, okay?” She asked while she stood and offered her hand to Raquel to help her up - which she happily took.

“Of course,” she nodded and then started to walk towards the beach. As she walked, she went over all of the evidence they had gathered during the case. None of it was going to connect Sergio to the heist...until she vaguely remembered one small detail in the case. She quickly grabbed her phone from her purse, opened Facebook and called Angel.

“Raquel,” she could hear the smile in his voice over the phone. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” she lied. “Enjoying my time on this amazing island.”

“I’m glad,” he smiled. “Not that I’m not happy to hear you’re voice, but what’s going on?”

“I have a question for you,” she admitted but kept her tone light to avoid arousing suspicion from her former partner, “I was talking about the heist with a couple of other tourists. People always ask so many questions when they find out I was the lead inspector…”

“Obviously,” Angel laughed.

“But there was one thing I couldn’t remember and it was bothering me. Someone had asked if we had any evidence on the leader, the professor. You had found a fingerprint when he broke into the car when the Russian was telling us what he looked like, right?”

“Yes, we ran it through the system but there were no matches. I swear the man was like a ghost.”

A ghost she’d found, Raquel grimaced.

“Do we still have a full print on file? Someone asked if we’d ever be able to catch him and I couldn’t remember. I’ve been trying not to focus on it…”

“I understand that. And yes, we could catch him if we had a fingerprint from him and it matched the one we have in the database. How did this come up?” He asked suspiciously. “You haven’t caught the professor, have you?” 

Raquel quickly laughed and he joined her. “That would be crazy, wouldn’t it?”

“It would be…”

“No, no professor here in Palawan,” she laughed in an attempt to hide the truth from him. “I was just reminiscing over the last year and thought it would be nice to hear your voice again. Thank you for your Birthday message. And let me know how the transfer goes.”

“It was nice to hear your voice too, Raquel. I’m always here if you have a random question. Heist related or not,” he smiled.

“Thank you,” she smiled in return over the phone. “I have to go now, but we’ll talk soon?”

“Of course,” he confirmed. “Enjoy the rest of your vacation.”

“Bye,” she smiled and hung up the phone. Sergio didn’t know about the fingerprint. She had a small chance to prove he was the professor. He had used a glass in her room from the night he stayed over which she remembered being annoyed that the cleaner forgot to replace.

When she turned around to begin running to her room, she was faced with a familiar face. 

_Andres. Or Berlin as they called him in the Royal Mint._

She thought back to Sergio saying he had a brother.. Antonio.

_Oh, fuck._

**_**_ **

After a couple of hours of laying on his bed in self pity over hurting Raquel, Sergio re emerged in the hotel lobby looking for his brother. He decided it would be best if they simply left now and let Raquel enjoy the last two days of her vacation.

He looked in the bar and at the pool; however, his brother was nowhere to be found. Sergio quickly went back to the bar hoping he’d missed him or he was in the washroom. Still nothing.

When he walked into the lobby, he saw Maria and Sofia looking worried at reception asking the woman if she’d seen their friend.

“Salva!” Sofia said angrily when she saw him. “Have you seen Raquel?”

“No,” he replied concerned over how worried she looked.

“She was supposed to call me when she was back from her walk, but that was over an hour ago. I’m worried…”

Sergio went white. If they couldn’t find Raquel and he couldn’t find Andres…. He quickly grabbed his phone and saw a message from his brother. 

_The lion has nothing to worry about._

“I have to go,” he told the girls and then quickly ran out the door towards his motorbike.

“What’s going on?!” Maria asked, chasing after him.

But he didn’t answer her. He simply put on his helmet and turned on his phone to track Andres' location. He was heading towards the warehouse he’d just purchased for the school.

_His brother was going to kill Raquel..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't lose faith ;)


	8. Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for your support of this story. I'm so excited to finish my first multi-chapter fanfic and it's been so humbling that a few of you have been reading and enjoying this story. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of me writing serquel because it's going to be a looooong wait for part 5. I appreciate everyone who took the time to read, leave kudos and comments. It pushed me to keep writing. :)
> 
> I didn't plan on writing an epilogue, but if there's interest in one, let me know and maybe I'll add one. ;)

Raquel’s eyes opened to find herself in an unfamiliar place. The air was musty and smelled of dust, sewage and mold. In front of her, she could see a vast open space with old industrial equipment covered in white sheets. _What is this place?_

She attempted to move, but her arms were tied above her with chains to a pipe through the ceiling, making it nearly impossible for her to move more than a few inches. As she became more aware of her situation, she began to feel the pain in her upper arms and wrists that were being forced over her head. 

This nightmare had taken a twist she didn’t expect. One where she could very well never return home to her family. And never see her beautiful daughter’s smile again.

The ONE time she takes a vacation in over 10 years - since her honeymoon with Alberto in Peru - she ends up with her life hanging in the balance. And caused by the life she’d been escaping for the past year. She hated irony.

She looked around the dark warehouse, the only light coming through was the sun shining through the windows behind her, to see if Andres or Sergio were anywhere to be found. She didn’t understand why she was here and not killed and thrown into a ditch right away. What more could they possibly want with her?

“You’re finally awake,” she heard from a familiar voice behind her. A shiver ran down her spine at the familiar tone. Memories of the one time she entered the Royal Mint flooded her mind.

“Andres de Fonollosa,” she responded, her tone completely even, to mask the fear building from within.

“So sorry about all the dramatics,” he smirked while walking in front of her. “I really hoped the second time we met would be less…” he paused for a moment and looked straight into her eyes “severe.”

“Why am I here?” she sighed in response to his cavalier attitude. 

“Do you remember the story of Odysseus and the Sirens?” he asked while taking a step back to avoid being too close but still maintaining eye contact. When she simply rolled her eyes in response, he continued, “Odysseus was a smart man, but too curious for his own good. He was warned that the Sirens' calls were dangerous and would lead him and his men to their destruction, but he didn’t want to listen to them. He wanted to hear their call… so he didn’t put beeswax in his ears when he knew he would be passing them by boat one night; instead, he strapped himself to the boat while everyone else covered their ears…”

“What are you even talking about,” Raquel asked in frustration, wishing she could disappear at this moment.

“I’m getting there. Always so impatient,” he commented and then laughed when he scoffed at him. “Odysseus wanted to take the risk of hearing the Sirens for his own excitement and adventure. He couldn’t help himself. And when he hears their call, all he wants is to get to them and change the direction of the boat. He loses control over himself and is willing to put everyone at risk. Luckily, there were other people steering the boat so he avoided them.”

“Let me guess, I’m the Siren,” she rolled her eyes over this idiotic story.

“Ding! Ding! Ding!” he smiled and walked to the side of her. “I can see my brother’s attraction. You’re so smart,” he teased. 

“Your story is missing the part where Odysseus manipulated the Siren, played with her emotions, lied to her and destroyed her life.”

Andres continued to walk around her in thought, “That’s fair,” he laughed.

“What am I doing here?” she asked again, hoping it didn’t lead to another story from Greek mythology.

“I wanted to meet the first woman who’s ever caught my brother’s interest,” he replied directly. 

“Oh please,” she scoffed again, growing more frustrated by this exchange.

“He lied to me. He came here to meet you because somehow you got the man who lectured me for years about prioritizing intellect over emotions to be guided by his own heart. I watched him for a year after struggle with the guilt of ruining your reputation, but what I missed in all of that was my brother falling in love with you…” he shook his head in disbelief.

“He didn't fall in love…”

“Don’t pretend like you didn’t feel whatever happened between the two of you as well. I’ve begged my brother to go on many dates, to find love, to be free from his own fears for years. And then one week, he leaves our home, lies to me about why and spends all of his time getting to know you. Talking to me about the future he wants with you like some lovesick fool..”

Raquel was speechless over this admission. Was this another trick? Was he trying to get her defenses down? Or…

Andres looked at the conflict all over her face and continued, “You know that I’m dying. I seem to remember you telling my team about it to drive a wedge between us…”

“It worked,” she grumbled under her breath.

Andres glared at her, choosing to ignore her words and continue, “All I want is for my brother to be happy. I’d love to give this my blessing. Hell, I’d even offer to officiate the wedding if I thought this could work out. I’ve never seen Sergio smile the way he did when he came back to the room after spending the night with you. He’s completely in love with you…”

Raquel looked away not wanting to show him how his words were affecting her. She didn’t want to believe that Sergio’s feelings for her were real. It only made all of this harder, especially knowing she wouldn’t be leaving this warehouse alive. It’d be easier to only feel hatred, regret… but in her heart she knew there was a more powerful emotion wanting to take over. She had to push it away. 

“But we both know that you could never forget or accept that he’s the criminal mastermind in Spain’s biggest heist. The man you talked to on the phone for days. The one who destroyed your reputation. You’re built to see the world in black and white, good and bad… and you know couldn’t go back to your life knowing you had the opportunity to turn us in.”

“Let’s say you’re right,” she considered as she began to put on her negotiator hat. “But you’re holding all the cards here. All I know is what you both look like and that you’d been living in the Philippines. You could run away right now, and I could let the police know you’re here, but you’d both be gone by the time I did that.”

“Do you really think my brother can walk away from you?” He questioned. “When we men fall in love with a woman, we lose rational thought. We are guided by the feeling of happiness and life that love brings. My brother has never experienced that before and as long as you’re alive, he’ll want to risk everything to show you how genuine his feelings for you are. He can’t live with hurting you.”

“So instead you’ll kill me right now to protect yourself?”

“Oh, I’m not going to kill you,” Andres revealed. “My brother will…”

“If what you’re saying is true, that he can’t live with the guilt of hurting me, then how will he live with the guilt of murdering me?”

“He’ll barely survive it,” he agreed, “And he won’t want to do it, but it’s like a flesh eating virus in your leg. You need to amputate to stop the virus. Of course, you’ll grieve that part of your leg for the rest of your life and it’ll be hard… but the virus will be gone.”

“Now, I’m a virus and a Siren?”

Andres laughed at this. “When you put it like that…”

“No, I won’t let you “put it like that”. I’m a woman and mother on vacation with her friends. I’m a professor now who has students that depend on her. I’m not a cop anymore. I’m not here to ruin anyone’s life. I came here for a vacation and to celebrate my birthday. Which is today… and I’ll put their lives over revenge. So if you need me to promise I won’t go to the police about you and Sergio, you have my promise…”

Andres simply rolled his eyes at this, “You really think I’m going to believe you can let this go? That you can live with that?”

“If my alternative is dying and not being able to see my daughter grow up, then yes. You can believe my word.” She pleaded. She hated giving him this power but how else was she going to get out of this alive?

“And what about your reputation? You have an opportunity to fix that… you’ll let that go?” he asked skeptically.

“I have already left that life behind. And I don’t even blame your brother for that when it was the shits at the CNI who played me.”

“And what about Sergio?”

“What about him?” 

“You really don’t have any feelings for my brother?”

Raquel looked down at this. The truth was that she did have strong feelings for him. She remembered the pull she felt towards the professor during the heist, how their conversations energized her in a way that she’d never felt before and now meeting him in person, even with a pseudonym, it started to make sense why she fell for him so quickly. “No,” she simply said.

Andres simply laughed at this and then opened his phone. “Looks like my brother is on his way…”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” he smiled, “we’re basically brother and sister now…”

Raquel rolled her eyes. “Why did you say Sergio would kill me?”

“Because he knows you’re a loose end. You don’t pull off the biggest heist in history and keep all the members safe by being a saint,” he smiled. “My brother, when faced with having to choose between emotion and rational thought, will always choose rational thought. Even now when he thinks he loves you…”

“But if he kills me, he then will have to escape from a murder investigation as well. My friends saw him and know what he looks like.. It makes no sense. And not something the “professor” would ever do…”

Andres simply smiled at this, “And what would the professor do?”

“He would find a way out of this without harming anyone,” she replied. “But you… you will want to make him believe that it’s not possible. That I’m the biggest threat so that you can manipulate him into thinking this is the only option. Because you’re still mad that I got to you during the heist. And your own narcissism will be the reason I die here today. Not because I’m a threat to your lives. Because I hurt your feelings a year ago and made you feel weak… pathetic.”

Andres’ eyes widened at how easily she could read him. _Shit._ She really was a good match for his brother, but he couldn’t let her win today. And yet the anger he felt towards her made him want to grab the gun from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and end this now.

He was seconds before pulling out his gun but was interrupted by the sound of a motorbike. His brother was here, 

“Saved by the professor,” he muttered and then left her alone in the warehouse. 

Raquel let out a sigh she’d been holding in, allowing all of her fear and desperation out. She was dealing with a sociopath who didn’t listen to logic. He had it in his mind that she was a problem he needed to eliminate, and it would take a miracle for his mind to change. 

She overheard two voices arguing from this distance while she could hear the echoes of water dripping into a tin can from behind her. She looked around more closely and realized that this was the location of the school. If that was even a real project, she reminded herself.

She hated to admit that she’d fallen in love with him these last few days. She’d never felt more connected to someone in such a short period of time - mind and body. And she knew that he was right about the heist also showing her the good and the bad of the system she once believed in but now fully understood how driven it was by power and greed. Hell, that’s what she was teaching her students. It was the motivation for her dissertation topic. 

But how could she convince a sociopathic brother and a chess player that she would be willing to let them go? That her heart couldn’t even let her ruin this for Sergio if she wanted to. That she felt what he was feeling too. Was she too late?

_*drip*_

_*drip*_

She didn’t know how much time had passed as she listened to the two voices argue outside, but the dread she felt for what would come next grew every second she heard the two argue. Was Sergio going to listen to his brother? Or would he listen to his heart?

As she went over all of the possible scenarios in her head, her feelings over the life she feared would be ripped away from her and the conflicting feelings she felt for the “stranger” she met this week, the door opened and she heard their argument more clearly.

_“We don’t have a choice,” Andres responded._

_“No,” Sergio responded._

_“So what are we going to do then? Let her go? Leave her here and run? Negotiate with the woman whose reputation you destroyed?!”_

Yes, Sergio, what are you going to do with me? Raquel thought while she had to endure listening to two men fight over the fate of her life. 

_“Just give me a minute to think!” Sergio responded. She didn’t have to see him to know he was nervously adjusting his glasses and running his hand through his hair. It may have only been a week but she felt like she’d gotten to know him in a way very few got to see him… then again, what did she know? She was currently tied to a pipe waiting for the man who she had fucked barely a day ago to kill her._

_“There’s nothing to think about! Everything we worked for could be destroyed if you don’t handle this now.”_

_“Don’t you think I know that?!”_

_“You told me years ago that letting a woman get in the way of a heist was the dumbest thing I could do. You lectured me for weeks about Tatiana...”_

_“I…”_

_“What do you think is going to happen, Sergio? That she’s going to just let this go? That she’s going to run away with you on an island and you’ll live happily ever after? For fucks sake, Sergio, you’re not this stupid!”_

“Hey!” Raquel interrupted, unable to listen to this argument anymore. “You do know I can hear you, right? _”_

Sergio took a deep breath, knowing that what came next would impact his life forever. And hers.

“I’ll take care of this,” he told his brother, feeling completely and utterly defeated. 

“Good,” Andres smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “I know this is hard, but it’s not just your future you’d be giving up.”

“You’re right,” he agreed. He then looked towards the area Raquel was tied up and back to his brother. “Can you give us a moment?”

“Of course,” he agreed easily. “I’ll be outside if you need me.”

Sergio nodded and then finally walked towards Raquel; the weight of what would happen next causing his body feel like rubber with every step he took towards her.

She was looking at him straight in the eye, not making this moment easy on him. He expected this but it made his nausea feel even worse. How was he supposed to do this?

“Raquel…” he breathed, trying to find the words to convey everything he was feeling but failing miserably.

“I don’t want to hear it all again,” she stopped him. “Do what you have to do.”

 _Defeated._ He could hear it in her voice. She just wanted this all to stop. This hell of the last 24 hours had worn her down. No more negotiations. No more promises or pleas. She was giving him the power to make the next move - and whatever he chose to do now would be it. 

He looked at her, seeing the tears streaming down her cheeks. He could feel all of her final thoughts from the agony he saw in her eyes. Her pain echoed in his heart. This was the last thing he ever wanted to do, especially to her.

“Close your eyes,” he finally said. 

When she did, he walked closer to her stopping just inches from her body. She started to tremble as he moved his head to her ear, “I love you”, he whispered.

Raquel quietly gasped not expecting those to be his final words to her. 

This was it. Raquel opened her eyes one last time to see the gun in his hand and quickly closed her eyes again. Flashes of memories of Sergio, the case, her friends, her mom.. and finally, Paula, quickly played in her mind like a movie on fast forward. She felt the guilt of leaving them all behind...

 **A shot went off.**

After a few seconds Raquel opened her eyes to see that he shot what looked like a pile of fabric rolls covered in a white sheet.

“Shhhhh,” he whispered into her ear as he took out a key for the handcuffs and freed her wrists. “There’s a backdoor with a car ready to take you to the airport. Sofia and Maria will already be there with your bags.”

“What about Andres?” she whispered, the shock over what was happening written all over her face.

“My brother gets these moments of rage where he thinks violence or murder are the only option. I’m only making him think he’s won the argument to give you the time you need to get away. In a week, he won’t care…”

“How can you be sure…”

“It’s not the first time this has happened. During the heist, he ordered Monica to be killed but one of the other members of the team, Denver, couldn’t do it. Now, they’re somewhere in love and Andres really likes her. He sometimes gets lost in his own mind and stops thinking rationally…but then when it passes, he starts to feel guilty for it.”

He saw exactly who his brother was and wasn’t easily manipulated by him. She wasn’t wrong about Sergio. He really was the man she fell for in the last couple of days. The man who pulled off a heist without killing a single hostage or hurting anything except the stock market for a few days.The man who showed more respect and affection for her in five days than any man she’d dated previously. 

She felt overwhelmed by her conflicting emotions of wanting to show him just how much he’d meant to her and how she loved him too and the former inspector in her saying she needed to start an international manhunt to prevent him from ever repeating a similar heist.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because I’m fucked no matter what. I kill you, and I never see you again. I let you go, and I never see you again. At least in one of those scenarios you’re still alive and with your family. I wish nothing more for you to stay here and run away with me, but I know that’s not possible. The least I can do is give you your life back and take my head start with running away.”

“Oh…” she breathed.

“I’m really sorry,” he repeated. “For lying to you, for losing control and meeting you during your vacation. I don’t regret the time we shared but I regret how I made you think I was playing you for my own pleasure. The truth is that I’ve never felt this before with anyone, and I let it control me. And it almost got you killed.”

“And on my birthday,” she muttered. 

“Not exactly the birthday present I had planned,” he sighed. “Andres is going to come in here soon, so you need to go now.”

“How will you…” she started and then saw him put gasoline over the bunches of fabric and lit a match. 

“It’s the only way to fool him even if it’s just for a moment,” he smiled. “So please… go now... And thank you for letting me feel what love was like even if only for a few days.” 

Raquel paused at that. Was it really going to be this easy? He was going to let her go and run away? Let her potentially chase him with the police if that’s what she chose to do?

“This isn’t a trap?”

“No trap,” he confirmed, looking deep into her eyes. 

“Can I trust you?”

In response, Sergio pulled her into his arms and kissed her, using this kiss to show her exactly how he felt. Every caress of the tongue assuring her that his feelings were genuine, a lower lip bite to show her his desire and finally a small peck on her lips to convey his affection for her. He hoped that the passion he felt for her was communicated without words. That his kiss could give her the assurance she needed.

Breathlessly, she took a step back and looked into his eyes. Both of them trying to catch their breaths over the intense yearning they were consumed by yet knew they didn’t have time to finish this in the way they both desired. 

She turned away and began to walk towards the backdoor and then paused, unable to push herself to leave… at least without.... She then saw a piece of paper on a table near the backdoor with a few pens. She wrote a message on it, folded it and went back to where Sergio was standing. “Thank you,” she breathed out and hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck and feeling her body melt into his when his arms wrapped around her waist. While his head rested on hers, she slipped the note in his suit jacket and broke away from him.

“Goodbye Sergio,” she finally said and then ran towards the backdoor to find the car he promised waiting for her. She knew trusting him was a bit of a risk but the way he kissed her, looked at her, how he planned an escape for her and even the way Andres talked about him, she knew that he was a good person. That he kept his word. And along with that, she finally trusted that he loved her.

*******

**ONE MONTH LATER**

Sergio and Andres sat on the deck of their new beachfront home in Ko Samui, Thailand enjoying their morning coffee in silence. Sergio made it no secret that he was angry with his brother over the past four weeks and needed time before being able to move on from the pain he caused in Palawan.

Even though Sergio knew she was alive, he still grieved her. Knowing he would never see her again was slowly killing him inside. He had destroyed the SIM card he used to communicate with her and chose not to keep her phone number to remove all temptation of getting in contact with her.

“You didn’t kill her,” Andres finally said after taking a sip of his coffee.

“What? Of course I did…” Sergio nearly spit out his coffee at this.

“I saw the fabric,” he smiled.

“So why didn’t you…”

“You love her,” he responded. “I don’t know how much longer I have, and this was all I ever wanted for you. And I almost let my own twisted mind take that away from you. I hope you can forgive me, Sergio.”

He contemplated this for a second. He let so much of his brother's “episodes” slide - the man he nearly killed in the bathroom of the club, the many women he treated like garbage, finding out he’d been emotionally manipulating one of the hostages, Martin.... But this time, he wasn’t so sure he could forgive traumatizing Raquel and making her think he was going to have her killed.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “You are my family, Andres. You know how much that means to me, but this went too far. Along with many of the other things you’ve done. With your illness beginning to get worse, I hope you take the time you have left to reflect on all the people you’ve hurt over the years and find some peace.”

Andres simply nodded at this unsure of how to respond. His brother was right, but he didn’t want to admit that. “Your woman didn’t turn you in,” he finally said after a few minutes of silence. “Nothing in the news, nothing from the police… I guess she wasn’t lying when she chose her family.”

“Of course she wasn’t lying,” he gritted out and forcefully put his mug on the table.

“You miss her…”

“I do,” Sergio admitted, “But there’s nothing I can do about that. She wants nothing to do with me.”

“I suppose not,” he whispered and then started to laugh…

“What?”

“Only you would fall in love with the lead inspector of the case. You never liked anything easy…” he continued to laugh. “She is beautiful, I’ll give you that…”

Sergio rolled his eyes and stood up. 

“I hope the next woman you fall for is a little less complicated.”

The next woman, Sergio thought bitterly as he entered the house. How could he even fathom thinking about “the next woman” when Raquel was the only person on his mind - day and night. He missed talking to her, getting to know her, kissing her, making love to her…. It’s never been easy for him to share those things with someone and even the mere thought of him feeling that again with someone new left him a bit queasy. It didn’t seem possible.

Sergio walked into his room and started to gather a few of his suits for the dry cleaner. He’d been putting this off for too long, but he’d soon have to fly to Palawan to meet with the local team he’d put together to build the school. He didn’t want to abandon the project completely, so he found a way to continue to move forward with it from his new location.

He double checked the pockets of his pants and then suit jackets. In one of the brown jackets, he felt a piece of paper. Assuming it was a receipt, he was ready to throw it out until he noticed the way it was folded. _What the hell?_

He opened the paper to see the words “I love you too” written haphazardly. When had she? 

Sergio sat down overwhelmed by his feelings - all the pain and hopelessness he’d felt over the past month and now, for the first time, he felt like he had an opportunity to change that. As he sat on his bed staring at the note in complete awe, Andres walked into his room with a suitcase in hand.

“You were right, little brother,” he admitted. 

“About what?”

“About finding peace. I’m going to Italy,” he said, and Sergio knew exactly what that meant. He was going to see Martin. All of the women he fell for and all of his attempts at “band-aid happiness” never compared to what he shared with his best friend - who was perhaps even more than that.

“Good,” Sergio smiled. 

“And what are you going to do while I’m gone?”

“For the first time, I’m going to take your advice and be happy,” he smiled.

“It’s about time…”

*******

Raquel stood in front of her class discussing a case study on how a police station implemented a program in a small community to help at-risk youth. This led to a discussion on the links between poverty and crime and whether the system was in itself pushing people to become criminals to sustain itself.

And, of course, this inspired yet another discussion about the Royal Mint heist.

“Do you think that it was the broken system that caused the Royal Mint heist?” a student asked.

Raquel knew the answer was yes. She knew it was Sergio’s history with being sick, his father struggling to pay for treatments and then being unjustly murdered that inspired the heist. Had the system been kinder to his family, he never would have been pushed to fight back. Of course, she could never reveal this detail to her students. 

“It’s likely,” she replied. “No one does something with so much risk without it being for some type of cause.”

“What do you think the professor’s cause was? Did he ever reveal it to you?” Another student asked in interest.

Raquel sighed. She missed him. She hated that she missed him so much. This discussion was uncomfortable for a whole new reason, and it was taking all of her strength to appear unaffected by it.

“He never told me,” she revealed. “Most of my conversations with the professor were about ensuring we keep all of the hostages safe.”

“I read in the news later that he’d ask you questions like what you were wearing, if you faked orgasms, the first place you had sex…” the students all began to laugh.

“Sounds like a jerk,” came a new voice from the back of the room who was seated in the chair closest to the door. A voice she knew all too well. 

_Sergio._

Raquel looked at him for a moment in shock. Holding back the tears that were threatening to fall. 

“He was,” she agreed while catching her breath and then smiled. “But I could handle him…” and all of the students looked back towards the new voice in the classroom.

“Anyway,” she said to get the attention back on her, “Looks like our time is almost up for today. A reminder that your essays are due on next Tuesday. I’ll have my regular office hours on Friday and Monday if any of you have any questions.”

The students began to gather their things and exit the lecture hall, leaving Raquel alone with Sergio. Unsure of what to do, she began unplugging her computer and gathering her things before the next professor needed the room.

Sergio walked down the steps towards her with a smile on his face. She wasn’t calling the cops, so this was a good start at least.

She looked up at him, “You’re here,” she smiled.

“I’m here,” he confirmed while his smile grew and tears formed in his eyes.

“You’re risking everything right now…” she warned.

“You’re worth the risk,” he smiled while taking her note from his pocket, “Sorry it took me so long to see it…”

She looked at the piece of paper and back to his face, seeing the tears in his eyes which she knew were reflected back in her own. He was really here… and he was taking the biggest risk by traveling back to Spain, proving once again how genuine his feelings are for her.

Without wasting another moment, she ran into his arms and kissed him with everything she had. It was rough as her lips smacked into his, their tongues rubbing against each other forcefully in ecstasy. Before she knew it, he’d lifted her in his arms, encouraging her to wrap her legs around him without breaking the kiss. For so long, neither of them thought this moment would be possible again but being back in each other’s arms sparked so much happiness and relief in them. This was love.

Raquel was the first to break the kiss, “So what now?” she asked still in his arms and wrapping her legs around him tighter causing them both to moan.

“I don’t know,” he smiled while going in for another short kiss, “For the first time in my life I don’t have a plan.”

She smiled as they broke apart from the kiss and then signaled to get out of his arms. “You’re telling me the great professor flew to Spain without a plan?”

He adjusted his glasses nervously and then looked into her eyes to see that she was teasing him. “Well, um… yes. The second I saw your note, I was on the first plane here.”

Raquel was moved by his admission. He truly was a remarkable man, and she was lucky to be the person who he wanted to shower his love to for the first time. “How about we start with baby steps?” she suggested.

“Ok…”

“I have a corner office with a door and lock. Why don’t we start with me showing you how much I appreciate you risking everything by coming here?” she smirked seductively.

Sergio coughed to cover the excitement that surged through his body. He loved how confident she was and her ability to take charge of any moment. He simply nodded in response, not trusting his words, as she grabbed her bag and took his hand in hers. 

_A new beginning._ It wasn’t the smoothest love story, but the nature of their connection was unlike anything they’d ever felt before. Five days was all it took for both of them to know that what they had was unique to them. A love that even greatest poets would find challenging to capture.

It was what they’d both spent their lives secretly wishing for but never believed was meant for them. They both knew there were still so many details to work through, but that they'd both be willing to compromise to be together.

Perhaps the first vacation she took in 10 years wasn't a complete failure after all...

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO SO much for reading! We made it to the end. I hope it was a satisfying story - I'm still getting used to storytelling and writing characters. And it's even more challenging when trying to capture characters who don't speak your native language.
> 
> If there's any interest in an epilogue leave a comment below. If people are interested in one more chapter, I'll happily write a bit more in this universe.


End file.
